Head Above Water (Rewritten)
by RightLeftWrong
Summary: After one hundred and eighty years in a world not her own, Olaug finds herself pushing against a force she knows nothing about. The recent events and aftermath of the Seireitei begins catching up to her in this unprotected world, and she has to hope she can defend this world she has come to love against it.
1. Prologue

I've become a liar in my short time here.

Short for me, at the very least.

People dance around the city square, joyous in the news of destruction of nuclear powers in this new age of heroes. Humans with special abilities emerge as the overall level of reiatsu rises so very quickly. It's discomforting knowing they can see me, speak with me, know me in their short time. It's even worse knowing that they too can get under my skin and burrow themselves into my heart.

According to legal and official record, my name is Olaug East. I've never had a last name, never bothered to give myself one. Here it is imperative I learn to blend in with even the most inhuman of the humans, even if all they consider me is an immortal gifted in swordplay. No need for them to know I've been dead for the last hundred and eighty some odd years. Or that one day my asauchi will hopefully take form of its own spirit connected to me through bonds no one can truly understand.

Because no one can know the truth of me or my people. Shinigami have stayed hidden for the better part of centuries, and I can't be the one who jeopardizes that. Even my captain wouldn't be able to ignore that and pull strings so I'm not executed. I can wait until they come for me. It shouldn't take long for the Twelfth to find me.

"Olaug! Come on over!"

The handsome young man who wants me to stay with him, for forever probably. He has money, looks, kindness, the type of man any woman should want to marry and live with, even if it is doomed. Plenty of stories have been told; plenty of Shinigami have left the Gotei to do as much. I would hardly be the first one to go, the first one to do anything of the sort. Where I am now means I could never find a way home. I could be stuck here for the rest of my long, long life. I should enjoy it.

I shake my head and instead offer a smile in return. "I'm afraid I have to get to work," I say to him, picking up my things and leaving him where he is. All of them move around me for a moment, truly living, and something dark begins to set in.

It deepens as the years pass, as I watch the generation of Heroes I established this new world order with age and die. It looms in the back of my mind as I see children I consider my own born, grow, love, and die. It reminds me of what I am when I see the fashion trends shift from new to decades old, when musicians and actors become irrelevant and soon forgotten. Loneliness plants a seed inside of me that the years water and nurture.

_My name is Olaug of the Third Division. My captain is Ichimaru Gin. I'm a Shinigami. My name is Olaug of the Third Division._

I can wait. I know it.


	2. Strength

Kids often don't know what's expected of them. Fundamentally, they lack something that adults do, though what that is exactly I still don't quite know. Their perceptions twist around that thing they lack to the point they believe one way is the truth. But the truth is so complicated, with so many variables, and I can see how they come up with the "my truth" and "your truth" bullshit. The truth is the truth. Experience is experience, and that's the truth.

The truth is I'm a Shinigami. The truth is I still don't know my zanpakutou's name even though he has spoken to me for nearly a century. The truth is I've been dead for three hundred sixty four years. The truth is I waited for a way back home. The truth is there is no way back home. The truth is I am doomed to walk this world by myself, alone, and shrouded in the darkness of secrecy.

That's not what everyone else knows. They just know me as an immortal hero, gifted with a sword that purifies Hollows, and this is my home. They know me as someone trustworthy, someone who helped to start the dawn of this Pro Hero era, who exists solely for their protection and safe keeping. They don't know me for anything other than television appearances, accounts of others, and my record of saving people. A Human to them, born of this world, this era, to protect them from all and everything. Merely immortal, eternally young.

It's just not the truth.

"SHINIGAMI!"

Though right now probably isn't the time for questioning the very foundation of truth, considering there is a Hollow threat.

On the ground, plenty of Pro Heroes do their best to care for the common populace, the ones who do ultimately nothing with their gifts. Though they remain wary of Hollows, almost all Humans remain stagnant at their appearance, treating it more as a glorified inconvenience than the life threatening, life altering appearance of beings that it should be. It should inspire fear, should make them wish they were stronger. But even still, the Pro Heroes who have seen a fraction of the damage a Hollow can do keep back, as close to almost too far as they can be.

I absently dodge the strike of a paw, the sheer strength behind it bringing up dirt, a few bits of brick, and an increase in the intensity of the air around us. This Hollow holds a tiger-like form, lithe body and elongated nose tense and curled back in a snarling posture ready for attack. Red eyes glint at me as it walks around me. "Shinigami, Shinigami- who would have thought a Shinigami would be here?" it mutters as it paces.

"Please, just stay still. I'm late for work," I tell it with a slight whine in my voice, taking a glance down at my watch. Though I've maintained the predominantly black color of my uniform, adjustments have been made through out the decades to simply suit my personal needs, and the reiatsu that I emit, combined with the Zanpakutou on my hip, allows Hollows to identify me quickly, easily, and with no mistakes made.

"I'll enjoy your soul, Shinigami!"

It's fast, but speed has always been my area. I was given multiple offers for the Second Division based off how fast I can go. If this Hollow had tried brute force instead of a quick kill attack, I might respect it more. I'm not particularly strong, after all. Instead I unsheathe my Zanpakutou and let the Hollow impale itself on my blade.

The sight of Hollow leaves my gaze, and I look out at the crowd of people with the smile they expect from me. Large, wide, like someone who has worked her life away to win something and finally sees the reward. Not at all the way I truly already am. But they don't need to know about such trivial matters, not when it's another day they have to live the way they want or need to live.

"There she goes again! Miss East, always there to save the day no matter what!"

"Nice to see she didn't sustain any wounds too! Hollows can get pretty rough..."

"Whoa, she's so cool. Can't wait to grow up to be like her!"

If only they knew the truth.

* * *

Damn, I'm ten minutes late. These kids are undoubtedly nervous enough, filling the room with their anxiety, but I feel butterflies swarm in my own stomach, twisting everything. Stupid Hollow just had to make me late today, on the day when the kids are taking their test to get in, to become my own students. On the day they need me to be the best they can have... I'm such a screw up.

_My name is Olaug of the Third Division_, I tell myself, hoping eventually I might actually believe it for myself.

I step into the auditorium with an apologetic glance all around. All of the would be students are present today, though this particular auditorium is full of only aspiring heroes. A bit of warmth flutters through me when I see them, joining Present Mic at the front of the room. "I'm so terribly late, sorry!" I chirp as cheerfully as I can. "I was handling a Hollow that appeared in downtown this morning. I hope you don't feel like I'm devaluing your importance, would-be heroes."

_"It's Miss East! Holy shit!"_

_"There was a Hollow this morning? That's the third one in two days..."_

_"Ahhh! The Mother of Heroes is really here!"_

Wow, there are so many of them this year. It's intimidating, standing up here in the spotlight while they sit in the darkness, watching me. Lifting a hand, I gesture for the students to settle down. As they do, I take notice of the sheer amount of reiatsu in the room, feeling a few individuals with more than the others, but the overall amount is incredible. More than one would find in an average Shino graduating class. "I don't know what Present Mic has already told you, but I do believe it's my job to tell you about the third part of this exam. Isn't it?"

"Yes, it sure is! After all, you're the queen of defeating the Hollows, wanted all over the world when issues arise!" Present Mic shouts, loving to hear his own voice. "Which is made possible thanks to impressive support technology that allows her to transport herself over hundreds of thousands of miles within a few minutes! Oh yeah, Miss East is our number one!"

A rise of murmurings and whispered awes are heard, and I smile at them again, my eyes closing in an effort to be much lighter than I feel. "Thank you so much, students, Mic, but I think you should more focused on the task at hand. Don't wanna lose your spot, right?" The slide changes to the third part of the exam, the part I specifically judge. "Hollows, as many of you know, have been proven to be non-human beings for the last half century now, making it legal for Pro Heroes to assist or take charge in eradicating the threat they pose. Which means we have to teach you how to handle a Hollow.

"As I'm sure many of you know, it's much more difficult to take care of a Hollow than to apprehend a Villain. Due to this, there are requirements for separate licenses for Hollows on top of Hero licenses. This exam isn't meant to make you feel like less than your peers- plenty of those who failed this portion were one of the first in their class to get their Hollow licenses- but it is meant to see who is naturally more inclined to it."

I gesture to the slide above my head, which depicts the various animatronics similar to the ones on their second exam but with my own personal twist. "You can try to beat these guys into oblivion, but it won't work. In order to get to them, to defeat them, you have to call upon an inner ability that will allow you to bypass the protections I have on them and turn them off. I can't truly teach you how to access this inner power- you either have it or you don't- but I believe most of you will be surprised when you call upon it for the first time. Are there any questions?"

"If we can't access that inner power, can we still enter U.A.?" a fearful student speaks out.

My gaze turns gentle. It's a question I receive every year, one that so few are brave enough to ask for fear of the answer. "Of course! You all have it, and sometimes accessing it is more difficult. It's not something taught in school either, so this is truly something you can't simply prepare for. Anything else?"

"How does this translate to Hollows?"

"Because defeating a Hollow is much easier- possible at all really- when you can call upon that inner ability. Entering U.A. means, one way or another, you will eventually learn how to access, control, and use this power." The students are young, so I only allow a little bit of my own reiatsu to leak out, to brush along the students. I see many gazes immediately change to apprehension or confusion before I say, "You'll know if someone has accessed it. Don't be afraid of it. It won't hurt anyone unless you will it to. Hollows have this same ability, and sometimes they're so strong that the air can feel like syrup in your lungs. This power is your only protection."

I wait for someone else to pipe up and ask me a question, but they remain silent, and I give them my brightest smile. "I'll be seeing you shortly after your second exam! Good luck, boys and girls, and I hope your dreams come true!"

I leave the room, and my breath releases in a whoosh that relaxes my entire body. Present Mic strides after me, always so comfortable talking in front of anyone and everyone. He pats my shoulder as he passes, asking, "How bad was the Hollow this morning?"

"It was bad enough. I think it nabbed two Souls before I got there, but he was easy to defeat. He got cocky after eating," I say in reply, my gaze dropping down to the ground. "We were doing good too. It's been a while since a Hollow successfully consumed Souls- anywhere, actually."

Three months. Three months passed where Hollows failed to find a meal before I sent them packing. Today I failed, and two Souls paid the price for that.

"Don't be too hard on yourself now! Can't be everywhere at once, ya know!"

He's right, though I wish it were so much easier to accept something like that. Yamada, as dumb as he can seem sometimes, always picks up on my moods. The only other one to ever succeed at calling me out, in his generation at least, would be Aizawa, the two of them having trained together underneath me during their student years. The two always keep me close to them, constantly updating me on their lives, and Yamada is always the first to try to help me or comfort me when the loneliness lingers too close to my heart.

I give him the best smile I possibly can. "Of course, Present Mic. Now, let's get this exam started!"

* * *

The kids are positively exhausted by the end of the second exam, having given it their all to make their dreams come true. The first group lines up in front of me, combining two of the battle centers together to make it faster and easier for them and for me. The animatronics are lined up neatly, presented in rows of twenty for the children to walk up to. I catch a few staring pensively at them, as if they might suddenly become real Hollows, and others have a hard glint in their gaze, determination, like they know no matter what they can complete this and pass with flying colors.

I clap my hands, standing on a platform that gives me optimal viewing of the groups of teens and the robots. All attention turns to me, and I announce, "This is your third and final exam of today! Are you excited?" Very few actually respond, but I continue on anyway. "These are the animatronics you'll be trying to turn off today. Please, do not break them. I can't afford to replace them anytime soon.

"Now, they will move, but don't be afraid. They won't hurt you too bad- not even enough for Recovery Girl's help- so dodge them as best you can and try to get close. If you can't get through, don't worry. You'll have ten minutes to try, and then you're done for the day. And keep in mind this exam can only help you- it cannot hurt you."

The students gaze back at me, and I smile faintly at them. "Twenty of you, please step up." Some fight for their spots, all wanting to see if they can get it first, but one of them just walks up without question, staring at the robot with the gears of his mind turning. The blonde tilts his head at the one in front of him, bearing a tail that strikes like a viper, with his hands in his pockets. He'll make it in. "Please, please, just wait for your turn, okay? It won't take long at all."

My sense prickle and a chill runs down my back just as they settle. Nonetheless, I hold the stopwatch high in the sky, a hologram appearing on the ground in front of them on the wall for their viewing purposes. Several ready themselves, armed with Quirks or outright will, and a few stare questioningly at the robots. "GO!" I shout and the countdown starts.

Only the blonde doesn't move immediately, continuing to stare at the robot. I turn my attention from him to the other students, feeling with my reiatsu exactly how they're doing. Only a couple are managing to even touch their abilities. A great many are trying to beat their way inside. I can feel them searching for it, but none of them are actually reaching it.

Until a burst of reiatsu makes even me stumble, and I turn to the blonde from before. He uses his hands, explosions erupting from the palms, to enter first, easily dodging the tail as it thrashes. As if sensing some kind of resistance, he uses more of his reiatsu, the air turning soupy and difficult to breathe so some of the students have a hard time moving. He increases it again, and I use mine to combat his at last. **If you remember correctly, he can easily match a lieutenant, perhaps even a captain.**

_Then let's hope I don't remember correctly. Now that he's used it, Hollows are going to want to eat him up. And the sheer amount he's expressing now is worrisome._

**Thinking of someone?**

His face flashes before my eyes, the short, young Shinigami from so long ago. The oddest combination of blue and green that colors his eyes- turquoise, as I later learned- with white hair in short, gentle spikes pushed back from his face. Big eyes filled with his youth, a youth that faded even during the time I knew him. The one all of my class feared or hated, the one the Seireitei just couldn't wait to get their hands on, the one who was an actual child that they gave a sword to simply because he could hold one long enough to stand some chance in a fight.

The vision of him fades until I see the student again, blonde spikes somehow a powerful contrast to the white I can remember. He turns the robot off and brushes his hands, grinning widely, cocky. I see it all too well. He's the type of kid who would make people jealous with how easily he entered Shino, and his Quirk is certainly powerful. If he has the smarts then- "Look forward to seeing you in class, teach," he calls to me, disrupting my own thoughts..

"What's your name?" I ask, looking at the clipboard and at least attempting to play it off. Several students murmur and look towards each other as the animatronics begin moving again, attacking the students in front of them. Still, so many are impressed and boldened by his actions, believing it easy if he can do it. If only they were capable of realizing the level of power he has.

"Bakugou Katsuki. You'd best remember it," he answers carelessly. I place his time next to his name, allowing him to walk off as he pleases. Ordinarily, I might try to stop him, might even attempt to force him to stay until the rest of his group is finished, but Bakugou Katsuki will find his way to me by himself. He'll be in U.A. and all students wind up in my office at some point or another.

I pay attention to the students again, watching them until the timer runs out. I call the groups in and wait for those to succeed or fail, a rhythm picking up easily. The students were leaking reiatsu left and right in that room altogether, but there are certain ones I can feel that take up the major bulk of it. Bakugou Katsuki certainly did, but I feel a large amount from other students whose names leave me almost immediately, their stutters lost in their victory.

What a ridiculously strong group. The public will be safe for a time yet.

* * *

"You're late," Shouta comments as soon as I step foot onto the grounds for the exam. While the students without recommendations all gave their best a few days ago for their chance at entering U.A., this day I have devoted to testing the recommendation students for their natural inclination with reiatsu. "You were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago. They've been waiting for you."

"Sorry," I say to him, straightening out my uniform as best as I can. "I ran out of time getting ready this morning, then Spain called with a Hollow situation, and then-"

Shouta interrupts smoothly, "I didn't ask."

A pout covers my lips, and I punch his shoulder as I pass by him to view the students hoping to get in on recommendations. They're already lined up in front of me, most of them either cockily standing or emotionless. I allow a disarming smile on my expression, radiating warmth as best as I can. "So these are the kids who I can expect the most from, huh?" I ask, and the reaction is as expected. All of them grin and express their smug attitude in one form or another, be it through words or through a narrowed eye. "I should tell you, just because you got here, to the recommendations, does not mean much to me at all. Expecting more from you might not be what you want."

"Miss East doesn't give breaks! The Mother of Heroes is here to test you for a specific ability, so make sure you respect and does as she asks without being too difficult!" Present Mic says as he walks to stand beside me. "Don't let her appearance fool you; Miss East is one of the hardest teachers to impress at U.A.!"

"Don't scare them yet, Mic," I scold playfully and gesture tot he machines. "It's the same as the regular students. Doing this won't hurt you, but it can help you significantly. Some people have made it in based off this test. No one has failed because of it. Remember that. A very simple set of instructions, but far harder to grasp than any of you realize just yet. Think of this animatronic as a Hollow, but don't be afraid-"

"Hollows don't scare me," one says evenly, staring straight at me.

I finally take the time to look at him and find the exact shade of Todoroki Enji's blue eyes staring back at me, paired with a grey color that contrasts sharply. I chill immediately, regarding the boy as he regards me, lacking the smile and any other form of warmth on my expression, the Shinigami gaze I keep tucked away. No doubt in my mind. "Let me guess. Endeavor's son?" He dips his head once- a nod. "You wouldn't be afraid of Hollows. Your father would never allow that, would he? No matter. If you're afraid of a Hollow today or not doesn't matter- even Endeavor has yet to see their true strength, and they only get scarier."

_"The hell kinda difference in personality was that? She was so warm just a second ago, and now she's as cold as ice!"_

His eyes narrow the slightest fraction, and a small wind moves his hair just enough I see the scar over the blue eye. I guess the rumors are true then. She really did scar her son so he looked less like his father. Todoroki's voice is cool enough to put almost anyone on guard as he says, "Endeavor insists they're nothing."

"He would, but only because he's only ever seen a low grade Hollow. Now, please, allow me to finish?" Todoroki dips his head in the same fashion again, merely blinking once at me, and I roll my shoulders before offering that bright smile again. "Anyway! These guys are going to move around a lot and try to attack you, but it won't hurt too bad! Worst case scenario, you'll receive a pretty harsh bruise, but you'll know all about those by the time you finish your first year in the academy. Your challenge is to reach inside for a power that will allow you past the barriers I've made and turn them off. Some of you will be able to access that power, and others of you will not."

Yamada holds a stopwatch behind me, and Shouta heaves a large sigh. "You really do lay it on too thick," he complains beneath his breath, and I take a step back from the children. "Your test starts... now."

They all run at the robots immediately, even Todoroki's son. And the barrier holds them all back so they bounce off like a trampoline. I turn my gaze from the son of Endeavor and look to the others, specifically to the girl on the end. Her body holds some extra weight, a bit of flab, and her ponytail fluffs up behind her head as sweat beads her brow. Deep in thought, I sense her reiatsu moving about her, trying to make her notice the power she has. While she doesn't have much of it, her control must be astounding.

"Don't overthink it, Yaoyorozu." Her head jerks up at me, eyes wide. "You know where it is. Now use it."

Her gaze turns hard with determination, and a rod appears at her side- a weapon- before she approaches the robot again. Many ignore her in favor of their own task, but I keep my gaze directly on her, making sure she can feel it. The barrier rejects her again, and both of my former students turn their attention elsewhere for the time being. Her mouth moves, and she approaches the barrier again, her reiatsu wrapping tightly around her like it's own barrier-

And it completely shatters mine. Pieces of the barrier infused with my reiatsu falls to the ground, orange in color. I've never seen that happen before, at least not in this fashion. Yaoyorozu didn't use a Kido spell or anything, she just... she just touched it.

**This generation is proving to be stronger than previous. Much stronger.**

_There's no way that's a good thing either, _I tell him.

**Pessimist.**

Yaoyorozu pauses, completely caught off guard, then stumbles out of the way of an attack. Her feet scramble against the ground, traction lost, and she launches herself into a roll to avoid being hit again. Yaoyorozu turns it off and looks up with victory in her gaze, bright and full of youth. It's an effort to hide my shock and apprehension before she can see it and give her the biggest smile I have.

"Congratulations, Yaoyorozu Momo. You passed," I tell her and nod to Yamada to put her time down. "Let's hope you did well on the other parts of this entrance exam. You're free to go when you please."

"Thank you!" she replies with a bubbly voice, nearly skipping on her way out.

I turn around to view the others as they reach the seven minute mark, specifically the son of Endeavor. He has no fear of the Hollows, true, but he keeps himself at a distance- the same tactic his father uses- and tries freezing the barrier into submission. "It doesn't matter if you freeze it so it can't move or messes up the circuits," I call to him, "because it's not what I'm looking for."

His eyes narrow, and his frown deepens, and I feel it immediately, a shiver climbing my back and spreading to the rest. It's not the cold of his Quirk- as if anyone else would know- but that of his reiatsu. It swirls around him, some bits hot as the inferno he can wield and others as cold as a glacier. His reiatsu is interesting enough, but the amount of it is almost as overwhelming as that Bakugou Katsuki. Almost as cold as the prodigy, and almost as hot as the Captain Commander.

If he goes near it now, he'll enter the barrier.

Todoroki launches himself forward, and his reiatsu splits the barrier apart- not shattering it like the girl from earlier- and he turns it off. A release of breath is seen- visible due to the intensity of his body temperature dropping. "Good enough for you, Miss East?" he asks, turning his body to me.

"It worked, didn't it? You pass. Feel free to leave," I reply.

"As if you could stop me anyway." His mutter carries to me, and I have to stop myself from proving a point. He isn't my student. Yet.

The only other one of the students to succeed is Yaorashi, who is impressive with his Quirk on his own, and his reiatsu reflects it to a certain degree. While not overwhemingly powerful like Bakugou Katsuki and Todoroki, he would still be promised way into Shino. Once all of the students have left, I take a deep breath and decide to leave the robots here for now, turning to my former students and saying, "We're going to dinner tonight. My treat. Get your things and clear your schedules."

"I love it when you do this!" Yamada shouts, raising his fist into the air. "I always feel so trusted!"

"You should," I giggle as Aizawa pulls his phone out and sends someone some sort of message. Not a date, sadly, I think to myself as I peer over his shoulder, using my reiatsu to lift into the air. He puts his phone away and gazes at me blankly, the gears turning in his head. He wants to know what's wrong now, not later.

_My name is Olaug of the Third Division, _I remind myself._ My captain is Ichimaru Gin. I'm a Shinigami. My name is Olaug of the Third Division._

* * *

_My name is Olaug of the Third Division. My captain is Ichimaru Gin. I'm a Shinigami. My name is Olaug of the Third Division._

The Hollow thrashes when it lands in the open desert outside of town, clear of any danger it could pose to the civilians and their belongings. I land on the ground softly, the news crew behind me recording and commenting in their native tongue. It flips over at last, too close to a roach for my comfort, and hisses at me before chittering quickly. "Shinigami, you- chtchtcht- really are a- chtchtcht- pain in my ass. Let me eat, won't you- chtchtcht?"

"Not a chance," I reply, pulling my zanpakutou from its sheath and holding it at eye level, blade pointed directly at the Hollow. I can hear the growls of my companion in the back of my mind, hungry for a taste of something. For justice, more so than anything else. "You've eaten three children Souls, excluding the pregnant woman and her unborn twins. You've had enough."

"I have to bring more for my lord!" It chitters again, and I sneer, teeth bared, before Shunpo launches me forward, slicing through the Hollow's mask. It's a weak Hollow, either new to the game or foolish enough to overestimate its abilities. As it disappears into the air, I find myself hoping those Souls still somehow find peace somewhere. The news cameras follow me as I straighten myself and sheath the blade. Congratulations surround me, despite the lost ones, and I find it in myself, somewhere deep down, to smile at the camera and pretend I'm still happy with the outcomes of today.

By the time I make it back to the school, there's thirty minutes before homeroom starts, and Shouta stands at the door to my office, holding a file in his hand. "Hollow?"

_My name is Olaug of the Third Division._

I take a deep breath and nod. "Yeah."

"Casualties?"

_My name is Olaug of the Third Division._

"Three children and a woman pregnant with twins." Six Souls. "Why are you here?"

He shows me the file, several pages inside, but the top one is the most important. "I have all three of the students you wanted us to keep an eye on," Shouta says, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Bakugou Katsuki, Todoroki Shouto, and Yaoyorozu Momo, the three students who caught your eye specifically during their Hollow exams. Any idea what you're going to do with them?"

"I'm not in the business of making soldiers, Shouta, and you know that." Shouta and Yamada have managed to glean some information about me over the years, coming to conclusions and putting me in scenarios where I can't lie to them about anything- not that I would if I could. While they have yet to come up with conclusive evidence I'm not Human, they are aware of enough of my background to call it militant. Enough to know I was a soldier in some form or fashion, that I still am due to my job of Hollow hunter.

"Will they be in danger of being made into soldiers?" he asks.

I draw in a deep breath. "I... Should they find the children, then yes, I have little doubt they'll turn them into soldiers or put them down, or worse. Bakugou Katsuki is incredibly powerful individually, with the ability to easily claw his way up the ranks should it be to his liking. Todoroki Shouto is the son of Endeavor, and they'll see it as something in his biological makeup to make him geared towards violence- you know the rumors as well as I do, and the versatility of his abilities. Yaoyorozu Momo shattered my barrier, and I can think of a number of ways they would like to use her."

Shouta is quiet for a moment, and I swallow again. I know exactly what his question is. It's one I've pondered for years, one hundred and eighty years, that as the days pass becomes more likely. My voice is soft when I say, "The chances of them finding us are low. As long as we get them to be Heroes, they should be fine. They'll handle their own, and that's what we need, what they need."

"What are you going to do different now compared to last time?"

Guilt fills my chest, and I feel my mouth go dry. "Everything," I answer. "I won't be making that mistake again. They either have it or they don't, and I won't try to mold them into a Hero they can't be."

"I understand." Shouta takes a step closer to me. I hand the file back, my reiatsu reaching out to wrap around him comfortingly. His eyes close, and an affection blossoms within me, feeling more like he's my son than anything or anyone else. "She was my friend, Olaug. We have to take care of them this time."

"And we will," I promise. "You should head to class, Shouta. I'll be watching from a distance, okay?"

* * *

"You've been watching her for years now. What are you going to do?"

His nail scratches along the wood of his throne, a ghastly thing that stretches and looms behind him. He remains in his pocket dimension, watching her from above. He hates every bit of her. Her appearance has been frozen in that of an eighteen year old for the last century, since he was born and conscious enough to know who she is. Her hair starts blonde at the top of her head, slowly darkening to the same caramel color of her skin then to obsidian black, strands framing her eyes. One eye is completely mightnight blue, beautiful, and the other is a swirl of silver and that same midnight blue.

Oh, yes, he hates her. He hates everything about her. "Olaug of the Third Division..." he murmurs softly, like speaking to a lover. "She's been a thorn in my side for years. Killing Hollows no matter how weak or strong they are. I hated her before, and my loathing has only grown since. Killing her... that's too easy. So I want that world, that world she calls her home."

"The portal is open. Hollows trickle in and out, but the Shinigami have yet to find it again. Which means Aizen didn't know about it." The voice slithers about him, scaley and slinking, a whisper of who she once was. "Arrancar would love to go into this world, make the rift larger, and then..."

"Then she'll be found. The Shinigami will feel threatened... Central 46 will order the execution of the Heroes-"

"And they'll be defenseless. Leaving you..."

His lips stretch back in a smile, as charming as any handsome celebrity. "Leaving me the world that I want and her dead body."


	3. Sanctuary

"You'll have to learn to do without the frilly niceties. Our school has a reputation for freedom on the campus, and that includes the classroom."

Aizawa Shouta's voice floats over to me as I enter the field, my Zanpakutou at my hip, the black and white of my costume making me easy to identify to these students and to Hollows alike. Several look over and gasp upon seeing me, the excitement making them forget their fear of Shouta. He stops mid sentence and looks to me, his eyes narrowed ever the slightest bit. "Every time you show up, kids just don't listen to me anymore," he comments blandly, irritated but not biting my head off either. It inconveniences him, and that's it.

"Only because I'm so old," I respond before standing next to him, a half smile directed towards the students. "This is the assessment, isn't it? Why haven't you started? Giving your famous preamble again?"

Shouta sighs. The students seem to burst with giddiness upon seeing me, and I stand straight to say, "I'm Miss East, but Olaug is fine in the classroom. I'll be one of your teachers, predominantly over your Hollow knowledge, but I do like to visit classrooms sometimes. Shouta is one of my favorites, so you'll see me in your classroom often enough to call us both your homeroom teachers."

"You gonna take over this assessment then?" Shouta asks, weariness in his voice. He wants to go to bed, the over worked bastard. "You know the drill by now, don't you?"

"Sure I do. Still not gonna do it." He sighs, muttering something under his breath, and I grin out at all of the students. Even with the three I've singled out, this group contains a large amount of reiatsu by this world's standards, but that's not the only thing. Each of them appears strong, with an individual amount of absurd strength. "It looks like a good batch this year! So much more impressive than last year for sure. I don't imagine it will be easy cutting one of you."

Several jump at my words, eyes wide, and repeat, "'Cut'?!"

"Of course," I say, my smile widening. "Every year, Aizawa likes to cut someone from the class- or the whole group if he doesn't see enough potential. But go on, Shouta, so I don't spoil more of the surprise!"

Aizawa rolls his shoulders, then his eyes, and I take a few steps back to allow him a return to the spotlight. He blows out a breath, and then boredly explains the events of today to the students. I reach out with my reiatsu towards the three I know to be so strong with it, pressing against them, testing their awareness. Bakugou Katsuki shifts and looks around him before shrugging it off. Todoroki Shouto doesn't react at all. But Yaoyorozu Momo tenses up, bites her lip, and immediately locks gazes with me.

I read her body language. She doesn't entirely know if it's me, but she knows it is someone. I do the same with the other students, drawing back from the three I've primarily concerned myself with so far, and brush against the other students. A few notice but brush it off, and more fail to acknowledge it in the first place. "So let's begin," Shouta states with yet another sigh. Last night must have been a rough night. "Don't you have class to get to, Olaug?"

"It's orientation day. Of course I don't." He grunts in reply, and I find a place to rest and watch the students beneath a tree with plenty of shade. I make it halfway there when I notice Yaoyorozu's reiatsu spike briefly and come to a stop. Lifting my head, my senses become more alert, more aware of the world around me. It takes a few seconds before I feel it- ominous, hungry, and moving fast.

"Move!" My Shunpo activates, and I grab Bakugou Katsuki by his arm, dragging him backwards as someone lands exactly where he stood mere seconds ago. The students gasp or yelp from the suddenness of it, and I try to peer into the dust kicked up like a fog. I know the malevolence I feel is that of a Hollow, but there's something more to it. Adjuchas? Vasto Lorde? "Shouta, get the kids inside. Now."

"And leave you? Not happening," he replies, stepping to stand beside me.

But I can feel it in my gut, a sick feeling twisting my intestines and trying to cut through them. Withdrawing my Zanpakutou, I reach out with my reiatsu, feeling, and frown deeply. Something isn't right, there's something off about this. "I insist," I tell him as it finally begins to clear. "No self respecting animal would stay in that when the prey is clearly so easy to catch. This isn't right."

"All the more reason to not leave you here." Shouta pulls his goggles down even though his Quirk doesn't affect Hollows and their abilities, nor my own. He knows that. What the hell does he think he's doing?

The dust clears enough for me to see the form. More humanoid than animal, and my body tenses, clenching the hilt almost too tightly as he growls in the back of my head, threatened. A singular horn rises into the air, but it's off centered. Glowing amber eyes cut to me, and the smile is all too happy to see me. "Ah, a Shinigami! Don't know you though, so you must be weak. Certainly no captain," she says, increasing the output of her reiatsu. The words aren't threatening just yet, but the tone reminds me of a shark somehow.

I look back at the students to find each of them frozen in place by her reiatsu. Well, except for three- Todoroki Shouto, Bakugou Katsuki, and some green haired child I never noticed before. But something else anchors them to their spot- fear. "Ohoho, you will make a tasty treat, won't you, Shinigami? Can handle all of this reiatsu like it's nothing, like a real badass and worthy opponent. But you're not the one I want today," she states and points directly at Bakugou. "I want him. He'll be a captain someday, which means he'll make me incredibly strong."

Tilting my head, I take her in. Her uniform is more black than white, with chains holding some of it together instead of sewn stitches. Her shoulders are bare to the world, her breasts almost as much, and her stomach is defined by a six pack. "Well? Aren't you going to tell me who you are, Shinigami? Which captain is yours? Oh, do tell me it's that uptight Kuchiki, the one with the long hair. He really is powerful!"

"I'm Olaug of the Third Division." Her face deflates, transforming into one of thought. "My captain is Ichimaru Gin. Who, and what, are you?"

Her expression is astonished at first, and then she laughs hard enough to nearly falls to the ground. Her reiatsu lets up, and I sense some of the students back away. Shouta drops to his knees, breathing labored as he clutches at his heart. Suffocating, that's what she is, to mortals like him. "Ichimaru Gin- how long since you've been home, Shinigami?" she asks, wiping away tears.

Hesitating, my brain urges me to know more, to get some form of information from her. What happened to my captain? He's alive, isn't he? Did he move divisions? But my body is tense, anticipating an attack, ready for the fight at hand, and my mouth won't move to ask such questions. I Shunpo to directly in front of her and slash out. She backs away in enough time for a decapitating attack to become a shallow cut. Her amber eyes narrow. "I'll kill you for that," she seethes, eyes glinting red ever so slightly.

"Who, and what, are you?" I repeat.

"My name is Rosa de Syazel, and I am an Arrancar." Whatever speed technique she uses- Shunpo or something similar- gets her close to me. "And you're pretty fucking fast. Faster than the last Onmitsukido guy I killed." Rosa de Syazel grins at my face as her words register in my head. She's survived them? I was asked to join their squad upon exiting Shino, but my heart would have never been in it. Onmitsukido cleans up messes, regardless of pleasantry.

I push her away, keeping my body between her and the students. She's well built, and if that was only a fraction of how fast she can go, then it would be more than enough to make it difficult for me. Or to kill me. The kids need to get out of here, and Shouta- "You won't be able to keep up. Take them and go," I say again, not quite looking at the male at my side. Shouta hesitates for the briefest of moments and then looks away from me with a murmured order to the rest of the group.

"C'mon, c'mon. I told ya. I don't want you. I want that one!" The same technique- the same one- so similar to a Shunpo and yet different. Faster somehow. But not too fast for me. I follow her trajectory and stop her from attacking Bakugou Katsuki. Her arm meets my zanpakutou, a sort of guard keeping it from biting into her skin. The blonde stands mere inches away from my back, staring up at me and at her. Staring, like he can't believe what's happening. And why would he? A Hollow wants to eat him, and she could damn well overpower me.

"Get the hell out of here," I mutter, taking my leg and planting it in his stomach. Before he can protest, I launch him back towards the school, just short of hitting the wall, and this "Arrancar" allows a grin to split her lips, malice the only identifiable emotion. My gaze flicks over the mask on her face, then down to the hole on her abdomen. The words tumble out of my mouth with confusion, though not quite a question. "You're a Hollow."

Her head tilts. "I am."

I press against her, trying to break through her armor. "Then what the hell is wrong with your mask?"

"You really have no idea." The words seem to be some sort of dawning to her. "You reacted so quickly earlier I thought that you knew. But you claim Ichimaru Gin as your captain, and you don't know what an Arrancar is. How long since you've been home, Shinigami? How long since you've seen the great walls of the Seireitei? Since you've been among your kind?"

Gritting my teeth, I push aside the loneliness and memory of the Seireitei, of my barracks, of my captain, of the people I saw every day of my life before disappearing to here. My heart darkens just a little as I grit out, "One hundred and eighty years."

The laugh that breaks from her is demeaning in a way so primal I feel it in the atoms of my bones. "One hundred and eighty years, huh... Interesting, that's what that is." I stumble when she speeds away from me, my body loosening almost immediately. "I think I'm going to keep you around, Olaug of the Third Division. You're going to be fun to watch, even if you keep me from getting those delicious brats."

Rosa disappears from sight, and I clench my jaw. It isn't a good idea to just let her roam free, especially not in a world like this. Whatever souls she eats, they can't possibly mean more than my own life, or the life of Bakugou Katsuki, the one she really wants. But at the same time, if I can't keep up...

No. I can keep up. No one in the Seireitei was faster than me. No way she can be.

I use Shunpo to launch into the air, and Rosa appears in my sights before too long. She turns around and draws her own-

Shit.

The blade cuts into my shoulder and sends me to the ground. The impact takes the breath from my chest, but I still roll to my stomach when I sense her coming near again. She stands above in the air, her reiatsu successfully keeping her afloat. "So that's how fast you can go, hunh? This is gonna be so fun! C'mon, get up, get up! I wanna see you fight. Maybe you'll be worthy of my Lord Grimmjow! Or Lady Harribel! Which means I'd get first dibs on your life!" she laughs out.

What is she? An "Arrancar" isn't something I know anything about.

**Do you want my assistance, mistress?**

_No. Stay low and to the ground._ I push my body up and launch myself forward again, much faster than when I initially chased her. Rosa barely has enough time to block my attack, and I go in for another stab. Dancing around her, I manage to snag a few cuts onto her skin in exposed areas, appearing where she isn't looking and much faster than her.

**She's slowing down.**

_I can see-_ _"Eck!"_

She's strangling me. Rosa stares at me down the length of her arm, her glare savage. I claw at her hand and swipe uselessly with my Zanpakutou. "You stupid bitch. I am an Arrancar- one of the surviving Arrancar, and a personal servant to the strongest Hollows in all worlds!" Rosa's breathing is labored, and a serene glow surrounds her as those cuts stop bleeding and begin to heal. "Do you think you can simply slice and dice your way to my core? _I'm not so easy to kill!"_

The children are all nearly inside, and Shouta is trying to drag Bakugou to safety with the others. But he isn't the one to break free, far from it. Instead, it's the green haired boy I paid no mind to. And as he charges Rosa, ice coats the surface of the ground as it races to us both. Not nearly fast enough, as she merely moves two feet over, hand still wrapped around my throat and cutting off all air to my lungs.

**Now, mistress?**

_Now!_

Rosa freezes at the sound of a low growl, far lower than any ordinary animal would be capable of. Shadows come together to form the overly large silhouette of my companion, his hackles raised, muscles bulging, and teeth bared back in a harsh snarl. A wolf easily reaching four feet tall and nearly double that in length lunges for Rosa's arm, teeth sinking in despite the armor she wears.

Her pained scream is heard before she lets go of me, and I fall to the ground with my hand around my throat. The student falls to the ground next to me, and I want to throttle him for being so stupid. He shouldn't be here. He should be as far from me as possible. "Miss East! Miss East, are you okay?" he asks, unaware of where to touch me and how to help me but needing or wanting to nonetheless.

"Get back with your class. It's too dangerous-"

I throw myself in front of the student, and her blade rips through my shoulder, but it stops just short of him. It doesn't hurt him. "You are annoying," she hisses, hair askew, and she pushes it in further. I grit my teeth to keep from making any pained sounds, from providing her satisfaction, and say nothing. "So I'm going to enjoy what I'm about to tell you. Your captain, how much did you like him?"

My captain? Did? No. No, no, no.

"Oh, you know what I'm going to say. It's right there, right in your eyes. Because you did care about your captain, didn't you? Pathetic, that's what you are. It's been one hundred and eighty years, and you still have loyalty to a man who isn't even here anymore, loyalty to a time that has left you behind. It's pathetic, and it's sickening. Pathetic and sickening because you're loyal to a dead man."

All feeling leaves my body in an instant. My captain... is dead? My captain? Ichimaru Gin? The Snake of the Seireitei? How can that be? He's so strong, almost too strong, capable of almost anything. There's no way-

"Mi-Miss East..."

The whimper of the student reminds me of where and who I am. I'm in a school yard, with school students around me, and I'm a Pro Hero- the Immortal Hero Miss East. I have been responsible for keeping the public safe for over a century, and it comes with the trust of the entire world regardless of nationality or upbringing. Including the students I'm meant to teach. I don't have time to mourn right now. I don't have time to let that familiar and devastating loneliness sink into my bones and kill me from the inside out, freezing my heart and then my skin. I can't do that. I have to do this.

"I may be loyal to a dead man, but it's better than being a Hollow about to be beaten to the ground," I say and grasp the blade in my hand, the metal biting my sensitive skin. Another scar.

"Interesting theory," Rosa states, pulling her sword from my body. Blood splashes out, spilling onto the ground. "But it won't be enough. I'm going to kill you!"

I feel Yaoyorozu's reiatsu wrap around me, forming a protective barrier that Rosa hits. She breaks it, and I stand up easily. Rosa has no idea what happened, just that I should be hurt and I'm not. It does nothing to warm my blood. "Do you know who I am?" I ask, my voice dropping to the cold of a glacier. "My name is Olaug of the Third Division, underneath Captain Ichimaru Gin, and the fastest Shinigami currently in the Siereitei. You think you can just kill me? You're not fast enough, not even close to it!"

Rosa de Syazel moves as fast as she can, but it's not fast enough. I angle my Zanpakutou and cut through her body, lightning surrounding me for the barest of seconds at the use of my Shunpo at maximum power. I feel my Zanapkutou slice through her more than see it, and as soon as I land, I turn around to cover the student's eyes, burying his head into my chest and obscuring his gaze. Rosa's blood splashes onto my back, and I hear her lower half hit the ground before it disappears into the air.

His fingers clutch into my costume, and I allow him to stay there for a few seconds before releasing him. He's shaking, visibly, terrified out of his mind, but he did well enough in coming out here to offer his help in the first place, regardless of the stupidity of the decision. I place my hand on his head, feeling it for any heat, for any suggestion he might be unwell so close to all of this reiatsu. Soft murmurs escape me easily, promises that everything is fine, that everything is okay.

It's not quite, but it is close enough.

* * *

Recovery Girl complains beneath her breath, glaring over at me every so often with renewed poison. The students have been treated for minor injuries caused by the sudden intensity of Rosa's reiatsu and scrambling to get back inside so quickly. Shouta stands against the wall now that homeroom is over and his planning period has come about. Nedzu rests on top of a stool in silence. "There's not much I can do about this particular wound. That Hollow left a lot of damage," she states, gathering things together to stitch me up.

"I figured as much," I respond, "but it was worth getting checked out just in case."

The air hangs with the unasked questions they have. What happened? Who was that? Exactly how much danger were the students in? It's tense with worry, concern, and a twinge of fear because nothing about this is normal. A Hollow came specifically for a student, carried something similar to my Zanpakutou, and almost matched me for speed. Me. The fastest Hero alive, possibly in existence ever.

"That wasn't a normal Hollow," Nezu states obviously, starting the inevitable conversation.

Hesitation builds in me for a second, but I can't outsmart Nezu like this. I dispel it and nod my head. "I've never seen or heard of one like it before. And the sword it carried..." I look to my Zanpakutou. "I wonder if she was even at full strength when we took her on. That sword resembles Zanpakutou so much that I wouldn't be surprised if she had a released form."

Aizawa is the most unhappy here. Aizawa spent all of his beginning Hero years around me, having come to my office repeatedly during his school years even if he never told me what was wrong until it was resolved. I am, in some odd form, a mentor, a mother, someone he doesn't know how to exist without just yet. It pulls at the corners of his mouth, at the bags beneath his eyes that have deepened since this morning. They snap to me, worried anger swirling within. "Will more show up?"

I could lie, but... It would be wrong, after everything Shouta has imparted to me, after the amount of trust I've already placed in him. "I don't know. I don't know how many are out there in the first place to know the level of threat that we could be under," I admit, flinching when the needle makes contact with my skin. It burns, almost unbearably so, but Chiyo kisses my shoulder so a numbing agent from her power shoots down my arm. "I know she called herself _an_ Arrancar. So if she's _an_ Arrancar, then there could be more. She was so fast, and strong from what I could tell..."

Nezu asks, "What did the Hollow want?"

"Bakugou Katsuki," I answer, leaning back. Chiyo grunts but keeps working. Problematic, that's all this is. "I've encountered a great number of people, and he is, perhaps, among the top five in the sheer amount of reiatsu held, and he hasn't yet finished growing. He'll be extraordinarily strong when he's full grown. And Todoroki Shouto isn't far behind, so if they were to ever get Bakugou Katsuki, then Endeavor's son would be next."

"Which would put doubt into the power of Heroes entirely, and by extension-"

"Me," I finish for Shouta. "I don't know if we'd be wise for keeping this Arrancar part under wraps or wind up kicking ourselves in the balls now rather than later. If we do it now, the public will see us as honest. If we do it later, we keep public faith up, less fear among them."

Silence falls between us until Chiyo finishes with my arm. The old woman sits back and says, "We admit there was an attack. Wouldn't be the first, certainly won't be the last. We admit it was a stronger Hollow who looked different compared to normal Hollows. The public knows there are stronger Hollows in existence, even if they haven't seen one. We admit the Hollow was faster as well. But we leave this new division of 'Arrancar' out of the public's hands and ears. If possible, out of students' ears as well."

"If one never shows up again, we could be getting the public in a frenzy for nothing. But if one does show up again, we could be leaving them unprepared," Nezu hums, and I keep my thoughts inside. "If that happens, you'll have to be the one to face the public. Seeing you, the one with all the answers about Hollows, who has an ability uniquely qualified, will encourage them. But if you fall, then..."

The rest is unsaid, because we know exactly what could happen. The public will fall into fear, and Hollows will prey upon it. An absurd amount of lives could be lost. I turn away from the group and look out the window. Students are in the yard now, messing around during break or playing hooky on school grounds. These lives are gambled with this decision as well. It's all a gamble these days, and if that Arrancar isn't the strongest- if someone is faster than her- I could-

**Don't think like that, mistress. The future is unknown.**

_The future might be unknown, but my limits are not,_ I bite back, and he snarls in reply. _If only there were more of us. More Shinigami._

More Shinigami.

"What if, hypothetically, I could train proteges of my own?"

**Mistress!**

_Rosa was right. I've been here for one hundred and eighty years, and the Seireitei, the Gotei, have abandoned me. Who cares what happens to me as long as the public is safe? Who will care about the Mouse of the Third when they find us and I have to be executed? It's nothing to be concerned over, that's for certain. I am just an end to a goal greater than myself._

**That doesn't make it okay, and we both know that.**

"Olaug?" Shouta's expression is concerned as he lifts his weight from the wall, checking my wound and then other parts of my body for signs of things not being okay.

I shake my head, hoping to stave off my companion until we're alone, perhaps even when we've made it home. "Sorry. What was the question?"

Nezu asks, "How?"

Time to spin a tale. "I'm sure all of you are aware that my Zanpakutou isn't a human ability that is made possible by something like a Quirk." They nod, even if it has never been said out loud or confirmed by me. Until now. "It's uncommon knowledge. This Zanpakutou, while connected to my soul, does have its own spirit inside. And it isn't the only one in existence. It would take months to years of training- time we might not have- but I could train students to take up their own Zanpakutou and fight the good fight. Their reiatsu levels are high enough, now to teach them control, to use it in ways even I could fall short in doing. Eventually, they'll show their own Zanpakutou that has chosen them."

Silence reigns, thick and heavy. Simply put, I would be teaching children how to fight non-human entities- monsters. That's all that needs to be said for Humans to be concerned. Nezu sighs. "Will it be safe for them?"

"Possibly not. But we're training Heroes here. Even our alumni have been known to die on the field."

"Who would you select?" Chiyo asks. "Not the boy who can't control his Quirk, surely?"

"Not at all. The three I've already singled out, the three perhaps Fate has wanted me to notice on purpose." I look to Shouta, and his eyes darken and harden. They've been his students scarcely a day, but they're still his students. And what he saw this morning... "Bakugou Katsuki, Todoroki Shouto, and Yaoyorozu Momo."

* * *

My office sits at the back of the school, a bit out of the way, purely so I can have more room to myself. The walls are a faded blue at this point, having once been vibrant in the early days of this school's opening, and plants cover the entire perimeter of the room that I've maintained through the years myself. A few die every so often and are soon replaced, making for a beautiful room, even if it is sometimes a bit dirty as well. It's cool in my office, though not quite chilly, and I rest against my desk during lunch break with my eyes closed, basking in the comfort and privacy of my office.

But, inevitably, I hear a scratch of shoes on the ground. A sigh. A student stops in front of my office door, and I only see his silhouette through the slightly ajar door. Tall, with a mess of hair on his head. My reiatsu brushes against the door and then him as I stand up and begin tending to the small Christmas tree I keep up year round. The door opens just a tad bit more, and I turn around with feigned surprise.

"Oh, hello," I greet, going back to work. "You must be a first year, aren't you?"

His answer is wary, vaguely suspicious. "I am."

I offer a grin before saying, "Don't worry. All students wind up here eventually, for one reason or another. You're just yet another student who has come here. And you can keep coming here, if you so wish."

"And why would I do that?"

"You tell me. What brought you here this time?"

Turning to him fully, I see him completely. His hair is indigo, flaring out about his head almost impossibly, and his eyes match eerily well. Shadows hang beneath them, giving off the impression he doesn't get near as much sleep as he should. A lunch tray rests in his hands, almost completely forgotten, and he stares at me blankly. His name comes to mind immediately, due to the uniqueness of his Quirk. I can see the question beneath, and answer it. "I care not because I'm your teacher but because I like to be a friend to all students. Living for two hundred years has perks, you know?"

"You're Miss East." It's less of a question and more of a statement. "You missed class this morning. Are you alright?"

"A scratch. Nothing that won't eventually heal," I reply and set down everything to sit at my desk again. My Zanpakutou rests on the desk, warm, and I hear a contented sigh in the back of my mind as he finds peace in this room once more. "It was a mere Hollow attack, nothing to concern yourself with. It caught me off guard, and I paid the price for such a stupid mistake."

Indigo eyes narrow, and Shinso states, "I heard rumors you read all students' files."

"I do."

"Then why do you keep answering my questions? Aren't you afraid I'll activate my Quirk against you?"

I run my gaze over him, and the more I stare the more I find pieces of my previous students. A giggle escapes me, and I say, "Not in the least. I keep answering because you've given me no reason to distrust you, Shinso. And everyone is welcome in my office, regardless of creed, affiliation, or otherwise. Now go on and sit. You should eat before lunch ends, you know."

There's a second where hesitation lingers on his expression, still hidden beneath apathy, before I watch him sit down across from me, eating slowly and watching me. I reach for my book and wind up reading, almost ignoring his presence entirely. He swallows a large bite of rice before saying, "I didn't come to U.A. to make friends. In fact, I was never good at it because no one trusts my Quirk. Since I don't want friends, I was looking for somewhere to sit with a half decent view."

"Did you try the roof?" I ask, marking my spot in my book.

"Locked."

"Of course. Too many students nearly pitch themselves off every year when finals roll around. I guess no one bothered to unlock it. I'll go up there and get it unlocked this afternoon, if you'd like?" Shinso nods once. He continues to eat, but his body has loosened since walking through the door. I open my book once more and say, "But you are welcome here, just so you know. I'm a friend and a teacher. So if you ever need or want somewhere to escape, my office is always open."

As I finish, there's a hesitant knock at the door, and third year Sakura shifts on her feet, eyes red. The bell rings to signal the end of the first years' lunch, and Shinso stands up with a curious gaze in her direction. "Sakura? It's a bit early to freak out over exams, isn't it?" I ask, keeping my voice light and teasing. She sniffles, and I tilt my head in sympathy. "I haven't watered the petunias outside, the ones you made me. Go on and care for them, gather your thoughts, my dear."

"He-he cheated on me."

Ah. I take a deep breath and Shinso seems to stop for a moment as she does indeed go outside. "Students really come here regularly?" he asks.

"She's my fifth visitor today. Excluding you, of course, and she comes here regularly to study. She's in the management class, and the course here is quite rigorous. Some of these plants have calming effects." Shinso nods his head, and I reach across my desk to place my hand on his shoulder. "Like I said, all students find their way here eventually. Some ignore it, refuse to come until they can't take it, and others make it a sanctuary."

"What's in it for you?" he dares to ask.

I feel my gaze soften immediately, that frustratingly familiar loneliness settling in my chest again, curling up and dozing off. "Do you think others would find sanctuary here if it were not already my own? I've lived a long, long time... and this room changes far less than the faces and names and ages of those around me."

Shinso swallows and walks out, before Sakura comes back in and cries about her cheating boyfriend. But long after she leaves and the after school day ends, I leave my office door open while I lounge around outside and feel a familiar reiatsu before too long.


	4. Promise

A/N: Hellooo everybody! Welcome to the newest chapter of this rewrite. I edited this at 1 in the morning, so if I missed a couple things, please forgive it. But also Happy Easter! If you celebrate that! If not, then Happy Sunday! Anyway, here is your update, and I hope you stick around. Feel free to drop a review (read as please drop a review) and let's start seeing the rest of of this setup iron itself out with the introduction of a new storyline for a particular Kurosaki I happen to love...

* * *

The morning of my first class actually teaching the students, I spend a few extra minutes in the comfort of my office. Two of the second year students use my classroom to study for a quiz one of the teachers is giving today, though the reason why is beyond me. After school yesterday, I spoke with the students and their parents, the ones I wish to personally train. They were certainly entertaining visits. Though the Bakugous were the most surprising.

_"I apologize ahead of time. It will be incredibly dangerous for your son to train under me. Should he succeed... his life will only grow more dangerous."_

_"Tch. Katuski'll be fine. My dumbass son should be challenged- kid has been able to do fuckin' anything all his life. 'Bout damn time someone came along to change his shitty attitude."_

The Yaoyorozus asked the most questions.

_"I would like to apologize now. Your daughter will be in immense danger from now until the end of her training. For a long time afterwards as well."_

_"Will you do your best to protect her regardless of that?"_

_"I- of course, I will-"_

_"Then it will sort itself out, Miss East."_

And Todoroki Enji, well... he was the most opposed.

_"The last time you took a student on like this, she was killed by a Hollow!"_

_"I've never taken a student on like this, Enji. I'm not just going to let a student shadow me, but I am going to be personally training him to use a Zanpakutou, to continue my legacy-"_

_"To continue your legacy? And why would the Immortal Hero need anyone to continue her legacy?"_

_"You have always been insolent-"_

_"I'm doing it. You can't stop me, Endeavor."_

A sigh escapes me, and I stretch my arms above my head as my companion grumbles in the back of my mind, unsettled by own thoughts. Rightfully so, considering the actions of the Todoroki male. Enji was awfully protective of his son yesterday. Which any parent has the right to be protective of their child, but Enji was friends with her too. He knew her, he... loved her. And if she had lived, Todoroki Shouto would not have been born. Since he was married, I thought maybe he moved on. **I thought he was over that incident so long ago,** he mutters, shifting within me.

_I don't think he can ever fully get over it. He loved her._

A knock at my door makes me look up, and I spot Toshinori outside. He's hidden a bit, keeping out of sight of the second years in my office, but I can still spot his nervous ticks, the blatant anxiety on his face. Toshinori doesn't come to me often, but that's because he doesn't need to. Toshinori is the Number One Hero, the Symbol of Peace, the All Might. I am Olaug, the Immortal Hero, the Mother of the Hero Age, the Miss East. I glance at the time before standing and making my way towards him. I needed to leave anyway, and I can do something to help him.

"Do you have time to talk, Miss East?"

"We're not in the field, Toshinori. Olaug," I correct with a brief wave to the students. My Zanpakutou rests on my hip comfortably as I set a pace to the classroom through the less populated hallways of the school. "And I have time for you, of course."

"I've heard," Toshinori starts, his voice with a faintest tremble beneath the bravado he tries to sell to me, "that you're taking students to teach. Not as you have before, either in classroom settings or in job shadowing for Hero work, but as your personal proteges. Your successors."

I push him into an empty classroom, noticing that particular term he uses. He's been on the search for his successor for years, ever since it became obvious he couldn't maintain the Symbol of Peace for much longer. We discussed it a few times, but I told him as I told his predecessor: he would know when he found him or her. Though why my own successors are being brought up is significant. "You found your successor for One for All?" I ask quietly.

"Yes. His name is Midoriya Izuku." Midoriya Izuku... it sounds familiar. Was he the one who ran to my aid? I don't remember. "He'll be the next Symbol of Peace, and I was wondering if you would take him to learn as well."

Taking a deep breath, a million responses roll through my mind. I'm already taking three children and putting a target on their back, but this kid who could have a combination of a close relationship with All Might and my student as well? The target on his back for Villains would make him an astronomical payday for anyone who despises All Might. But the Symbol of Peace is paramount to our society, and All Might has been recognized for purifying quite a few Hollows, even if I've chosen those Hollows myself specifically for him.

Clicking my tongue, I turn away from him. "I'm not taking these students for the hell of it, Toshinori. If I take in this boy-"

"I know, Olaug. He'll be an even bigger target. But the Symbol of Peace is-"

"I know."

**Mistress, if I may?**

_Of course._

**Think about how Toshinori grew. Wherever this power of One for All and All for One originates from, it takes the power of its previous users and places them into one person. All Might has an incredible spiritual presence due to the generations past, and so this child will be even more than that. This may be more beneficial to his survival than to you at all, and the Symbol of Peace will continue with the role it has always held in this society.**

_You're right. But it's not fair for this child. He has no idea what he's getting into._ And again his face flashes before me, smiling once, a long, long time ago, before he was forced to grow up. The boy the Gotei was undoubtedly grooming to be a captain, to be their greatest soldier in all history. One so young he didn't know exactly what they wanted, or if he did, didn't have a choice in the matter.

**Don't compare them. You're not Central 46, and he willingly accepted this power.**

"I'll need to speak to his parents, just as I did for the other tree. My training will start tomorrow," I say to Toshinori, and he smiles at me in thanks. "You've done a good job as the Symbol of Peace, Toshinori. I hope he makes you proud."

"Thank you, Olaug."

_You shouldn't thank me yet. If your power doesn't break him, mine certainly will._

* * *

_"I apologize ahead of time. It will be incredibly dangerous for your son to train under me. Should he succeed... his life will only grow more dangerous."_

Katsuki has seldom been overt in his high opinion of Heroes and their profession. Miss East, the oldest Hero and the one who practically started the profession, has been one of his favorites for ages. She's the one people first think of, with a kind smile, a high pitched voice, the perfect picture of femininity. Like those perky girls on television that everyone loves so much, wearing pink and soft makeup and with perfectly covered pores- there was a time, twenty or some odd years ago, when Miss East was the beauty standard and women across the planet attempted to resemble her. Her response was an ad of several men and women alike wearing her Hero costume of the time.

So hearing her talk like that, seeming resigned to something darker than he knew about, was odd indeed. Off putting, entirely unlike the public persona she religiously kept up despite the shitty things that she has seen in her life. Miss East might not be the Number One Hero, but she's always been trusted, always been one of the first Heroes to be named among children and adults. Miss East, iconic, kind, gentle, motherly, reliable, consistent, all synonymous. Until last night.

Katsuki isn't quite sure how she'll walk inside today, whether he will see the Hero he knows or the stranger that appeared in his house last night begging forgiveness for things that may or may not happen.

"Ka-Kacchan, what are you thinking about so hard?" that fuckin' nerd asks Katsuki, and he feels the anger and ire bubbling within him in seconds.

"Nothin', shitty nerd!" No one needs to know what he saw in her eyes last night, the sheer defeat and regret and fear. Especially not that fucking nerd.

He doesn't let up. "I was just thinking you look like you're-"

Katsuki grabs him by the collar and lifts him off the ground, blood rushing. _Just who the hell does Deku think he is?_ Katsuki doesn't need his fucking help, and he doesn't need to talk about what happened last night. Miss East...

A hand touches his gently, but the force it uses to make Katsuki let go is iron-like and unyielding. "Now, boys, let's not be too rough. Save it for the real world," Miss East states, her eyes twinkling gently and with amusement. "Please, be seated. Today will be easy since it's our first day, but that does not mean it will have no point. I catch you dozing off or tuning me out and I will make a test for tomorrow that's one hundred questions and you can tell your parents why you failed your first exam. Better yet, you can explain it to Aizawa."

_Wow. She's a hardass._

Katsuki hides a grin as he sits down, his hands absent of any explosions. Truth be told, the blonde knows every promise Miss East makes is one she takes seriously. This particular promise is threatening, and she will go through with it. He half expects for her to stand, but she instead sits cross legged on the desk and sets that sword she carries- a Zan something- across her lap. "I don't have a syllabus for this course because of my duties as the primary Hollow killer of the world," she states simply, looking out over the rest of the class. "So if you have a question to ask, now is the time to ask it. Understand?"

Silence descends over the class until that Pikachu headed bastard raises a hand. "What kind of homework are we gonna have? Is it like easy worksheets or really hard papers or what?"

"You'll have two to three essays over the course of this class, along with a daily quiz grade, so you'll need to study at night. All test questions come from quiz questions, mostly so I don't have to go through the trouble of making new questions. That will make up a large bulk of your grade."

Easy enough, Katsuki decides. _She isn't overbearing with work or even with homework. And she looks and seems like yesterday didn't happen at all._ He's almost sure it didn't for a moment. "About the Hollow," someone in the back starts, her voice hesitant, "why did it look different from the Hollows we've seen before? On television, in pictures, online... It looked incredibly different."

A small swallow. "As I'm sure many of you know, Hollows come in many shapes and sizes. Variations are natural among them, and the strongest can appear human sized. Vasto Lorde-"

"That's not what she called herself," another student counters. Headphone jacks hang from her ears. "I heard her yesterday. She said she was an Arrancar. Where do they fall on the pyramid?"

Miss East is quiet, and her face drops into something cold and almost heartless. Dead almost. Something unlike her but completely normal for a line of questioning like this. Katsuki can feel most of the class holding their breath as they look upon her. The angelic, youthful Hero who reeks of warmth and kindness reduced to a base doll at a question involving Hollows. Even her grip just barely tightens on that sword of hers.

"I... shouldn't answer that," she admits, "because Nezu wants us to be careful with such information. But I can't well lie to your face and maintain your trust, now can I? Are you sure this a question you want answered, young one?"

Her voice shakes, but the surety is there when she nods and says, "Yes."

"To be quite honest, I don't really know what it is. Until yesterday 'Arrancar' was not in my vocabulary." Katsuki lurches with surprise. He figured it had to be scary if she would ask such a question, someone who never shies from the truth or from softening it to suit whatever audience she has. But her, the woman who knows all about Hollows- the one person in the world who has any sort of extensive knowledge on Hollows- doesn't know? "I've never heard of one before. Up until this point, the highest level I knew of was 'Vasto Lorde.' I didn't truly know if she was a Hollow until she verified it."

"So you killed her anyway?" Deku asks, incredulity coating his voice. Katsuki refrains from turning around and slapping him. If the stupid bitch verified she was a Hollow, then Miss East was well within her rights to kill it.

Her shrug is callous. "I called it like I saw it. She had a Hollow hole, a Hollow mask- even if it was a fragment- and her reiatsu felt closer to a Hollow than anything else. She certainly disappeared like a Hollow as well. Even if she isn't a Hollow, if she's something else, she's certainly not Human either, now is she?" Deku shudders, and Katsuki watches from the corner of his eye as he bites his lip, fighting with it. "I understand. You're not used to killing, and yesterday probably scarred you more than anyone else. You were closest, even if you weren't their target."

_"But you're not the one I want today. I want him. He'll be a captain someday, which means he'll make me incredibly strong." _Even the memory of those words and the way she looked at him, with hunger layering her every cell and facial muscle is enough to send a shiver down Katsuki's back and force a scowl to his face. He was sure for a second he was going to die. But then she stopped that from happening.

Miss East looses a sigh. "I know yesterday is something many of you have questions about, and you want to ask them. But the simple truth is I don't know. Arrancars are beyond me for the time being. The next one who shows up, I'll be sure to ask."

She rises from the desk and places her sword at her waist where it normally rests. "Alright, that's enough for now. Hollows 101- that's the name of this course. Let's get down to business."

* * *

I knock on the door twice and take a step back. There's a brief shout before footsteps pad towards the door, and I can feel the young one's reiatsu on the other side. Midoriya Izuku, the successor of One for All, the future Symbol of Peace, and soon to be my own student. It opens inwards, and the green haired boy's face lights up in excitement and confusion at my presence. "Miss East? Is something wrong?" he asks.

"Not at all. I was just hoping to speak with you and your mother about something important. An opportunity for you, Midoriya," I state as his mother appears further down the hall, a thick woman with a soft face and even softer eyes. A mother is every sense of the word, in appearance and in vibe. "You must be his mother. I'm Olaug, one of your son's teachers. Would you mind if I came in?"

"Of course, come in, please," she says, and Izuku moves out of the way for me to enter. I'm respectful in all movements I make, well aware this is not my home but theirs. So everything is deliberate, thoughtful, and purposely kind. "Please don't mind the mess, Miss East, I haven't had time to clean up recently."

I chuckle lightheartedly, hoping to settle her nerves. "It's all fine. I live in a pigsty most of the year, so this is actually refreshing for me. I didn't catch your name, ma'am."

"Inko. Midoriya Inko, and I believe you know Izuku. Well, of course you do, since you're visiting, and all that..." Inko trails off rather cutely before hurriedly, almost panicked, asking, "Oh, would like something to eat or something to drink?! My goodness, my manners are-"

"Please, Inko, sit. It shouldn't take long." She does, and I take a second to look around their home in wonder. It's modest, true, but it's comfortable, cozy, like a home should be. It seems like a family home over anything else, and I smile softly. The guilt starts to weigh on my chest again. "Inko, Izuku... Both of you are aware of the Hollow incident yesterday, aren't you?"

The two nod. "Yesterday was a bit of a wake up call for me, you see. The danger level of the situation was incredibly high for me, nonetheless for someone else who isn't quite as fortunate in the use of reiatsu. Simply put, if another Hollow like that shows up, especially one stronger, then I could very well die and leave the world to their mercy. As such I am gathering students to teach. All Might has asked me to take you, Izuku, and teach you how to channel your reiatsu in the wake of your position as his successor."

Both of them are quiet, though for different reasons. Inko looks uncomfortable with the situation, and Izuku's expression is that of nervous excitement as he slides his eyes to his mother. Her gaze drops to the table rather than stay on me. "Are there other students?" she asks gently.

"Yes. Bakugou Katsuki, Yaoyorozu Momo, and Todoroki Shouto are all going to be my students alongside Izuku." I sense her hesitance, a mother's hesitance. "Inko, I understand why you would be... reluctant about this option. However, I would not fulfill All Might's request if it were not for the power your son contains on his own. All Might's word will only get him so far with me, but I do believe he has the capacity to hold more reiatsu than I do, therefore be more against Hollows. I wouldn't throw him to the wolves like that."

"Would he be... safe?"

I swallow and look to Izuku briefly as that familiar loneliness starts to clog my senses, my throat. "Inko, I've never birthed children. I've never had the privilege of sharing blood with a child, or nurturing a child, of being the one they always recognize as 'mom' instinctively. I'm never been to someone what you are to Izuku." Her gaze softens more, if at all possible, and instead of pity I find something I haven't seen in a long time from anyone- sorrow. "I've lived two hundred years. In that time I've never taken a husband or a wife. I've never formally adopted. But I know what it's like to be a mother who wants to protect her child and wants the best for that child. So I won't lie to you about this.

"Even as an ordinary Hero, there are days you will fear he won't return home. Even as an ordinary Hero, he will encounter Villains crueler than his worst nightmares. Even as an ordinary Hero, he will face against Hollows who would sooner eat his Soul than face him in a fair fight. No matter what, Inko, he will be in danger." Her lip wobbles. "I've seen horrible things, my dear, in the shadows that Villains and Hollows crawl in. Just the other day a Hollow ate three children and a woman pregnant with twins. I can't tell you he would be safe. Because he won't be. The day he steps off U.A. grounds to be a proper Hero, he won't be safe. But he'll stand more of a fighting chance if he trains with me. That much I can promise."

A tear threatens to spill from her as Izuku sits there, digesting it. I reach out and take her hand. "Do you promise to help him in any way you can?" she whispers.

"Always. Even when he's an old man with grandchildren surrounding him," I swear.

"Izuku... do you want this?"

My body stalls as I gain a new respect for the woman. Even in her fear, a very valid, real fear, she offers him a choice to do what he wants. She's no fool. She knows the danger. But he's growing up, and she respects that. My chest tightens, and I turn to Izuku, who nods his head. "I do, mom."

"Then I give you my permission," she says, somehow holding it together. "Now go wash up. It's getting late."

As soon as he's out of sight, Inko looks at me again. I halfway think she's going to warn me or tell me she wants me to break him. But she curls her fingers around my own again and says, "I know how difficult it must be for you. But, Miss East, I trust you with everything I have. When I was a girl, you were my favorite Hero. I thought you were so brave, fighting off monsters and men alike. Please, please take care of my Izuku. He's all I have left."

I know that feeling too. I take her hand and press it to my brow. "I will, Inko. I will take care of Izuku."

Even at the cost of my life.

* * *

I reside in my office as the time nears for training to begin with the four students I've decided on. Students have been trickling in and out of my office all day, though none as prominent as dear Shinso Hitoshi, who uses my office as a hangout in the morning, for lunch, and sometimes even after school. However, he isn't the one I'm currently interested in as I pay close attention to the reiatsu in the air around me, something feeling off as someone tries to hide among the copious amounts of reishi and disrupts them instead.

It causes a headache.

**Perhaps you should sniff them out, mistress.**

_No need. Whoever it is will show themselves eventually._

"Olaug."

"Yes, Shinso?" I ask, the name rolling off my tongue even as it reminds me of another. Shinso, the same name as my captain's blade. But even though it rolls, I can tell the roughness of the path. The hesitance, the steeling of myself.

He's quiet until I look at him, square in the eyes. The bags underneath his eyes are more pronounced today. "Why do you do that? It's like you have to hold your breath against pain when you say my name," he states, catching me dead in my sin. A flush colors my cheeks a dusty pink. "If it's personal, don't answer it. I'm just wondering."

I lean back and consider the question. I can't tell the whole truth, but I can be at least a little honest with him. "A long time ago, long before you were born, when I was still young, there was a man I greatly admired. He was the best man, in my opinion. I was glad to serve with him, beside him, under him. He had a weapon named Shinso, a Zanpakutou like my sword. Only his was much stronger, much faster... So when I think of your name, I don't think of you but of the blade. I have to remind myself sometimes that it's you and nothing else."

The purple haired male is silent, watching me with an exhausted but still alert expression. He looks away, back to the work he was doing, and says, "Then call me Hitoshi instead. I crash your office at all hours of the day, so it's only fair."

"I offered my office to you, Shinso. There's nothing to be fair about."

"Sure there is. I'm here, ruining what could be your alone time, keeping you from tending your plants when I require assistance, and it was me who accidentally set your plant on fire yesterday." This little bastard. He really thinks he can lie to me so easily? He's almost as bad as Shouta.

I check the time and tilt my head. Nothing better than the present. "Hitoshi, when are you supposed to go back to class?" I ask.

"Five minutes ago."

"You shouldn't skip class."

"But you won't force me to go," he counters, and I smile at him.

Standing, I place my Zanpakutou in its rightful spot before walking to my door. "Come," I order towards him, brushing against his reiatsu with my own. The first year sighs when he stands, and his hands go into his pockets as he follows me out of the room. I lead him down the hallways until the classroom comes into view with Aizawa droning on about something or another inside, sounding as bored as I'm sure the students feel.

I knock once before entering, and Hitoshi stutters in his step before entering beside me. The students look up at my entrance, even as Shouta continues his lesson despite their obvious lack of attention. I sit on the desk at the front and make room for Hitoshi to sit beside me. "And that's why- okay, what are you doing, Olaug?" Shouta asks finally, seeing the two of us make ourselves comfortable.

"Introducing one of your future students to the class. Please, continue with the lesson," I reply with a cheeky smile that makes even Hitoshi cut his eyes towards me. The students stare at the purple haired male next to me, taking him in wholly. Shouta sighs and mutters under his breath as he starts climbing into his sleeping bag and deciding he's done with lecture for today. It is only ten minutes until my class with them anyway.

Bakugou tilts his head and asks, "And just who the fuck is this droopy eyed extra?"

"Be nice, Bakugou," I scold before standing up. "This is Shinso Hitoshi. He'll be your classmate one day, and I expect all of you to welcome him when he is."

"What class is he supposed to be in now?" Shouta asks from the floor.

"Dunno," I reply, "but I'll write him an excuse later. I wanted you to meet him too, so perhaps you can walk him back to class when we're done?"

Shouta sighs and zips his sleeping bag entirely so his face is hidden, but I know he'll end up doing it. Hitoshi stares out apprehensively, almost as if he's on edge, and the students respond with whispers and murmurs that don't include him. "His Quirk is pretty interesting. It's called 'Brainwash' and is pretty cool when activated," I tell the class, and Hitoshi cuts his eyes to me again. "I look forward to seeing what he can do one day."

The bell rings, and Shouta leaves the comfort of his sleeping bag to fulfill my earlier request. I begin class, going over the recent history of Hollows in Japan.

* * *

White walls tower and dominate the world around her, completely obscuring her vision. Ordinarily she wouldn't mind being late to, well, anything that has to do with the Shinigami, but she has an assignment due tonight worth over sixty per cent of her grade. If she's here, she can't turn it in. And she has to turn it in or face the class all over again so she can get her degree. But the Seireitei has never been her home, and the handful of times she arrives for much of anything, she has someone- her brother usually- show her where to go.

As if she ever even wanted a hand in any of this. Her brother hadn't had much choice either, not way back then, but becoming a Shinigami was the last thing she ever wanted, _ever_. Then the day came where she was forced to make a choice- let people die or accept the power she was born with and use it. And now she has to show up here every so often for the higher ups to know her activities, the amount of power she holds, and her progress on any and all assignments, Shinigami related or otherwise. Yet she has never bothered to learn the layout of the Seireitei.

"You still haven't figured out your way around here?" The taunt forces her to turn around and view the speaker. His head is as bald as the day she first met him, and the lieutenant badge rests on a bare bicep. "Eh, Kurosaki Karin?"

Her black hair is sheared off at her shoulder blades and pulled back into a high ponytail that doesn't quite reach the nap of her neck and bangs framing her face. Onyx eyes stare blankly at the man before she tilts her head with a smirk. "Just like you still haven't figured out how to beat me in a fair fight, Ikkaku." His eyes flash with a challenge, and she adds, "But we'll have to wait to prove that. I need to finish up business her and get back home. My assignment is due, and I can't afford to miss the deadline."

"Yeah, yeah," he says, hopping from the rooftop to the ground next to her. "C'mon. You're here for a boring meeting this month. Nothing has been happening around here, so the old man says we gotta look at cold cases again. Shinigami still hide in the Human world, and Central 46 can't forgive that."

"Again? We've been looking at the same cold cases for the last three months," Karin groans.

She feels him before she sees him. Toshiro is next to them in a half second, reiatsu chilling the air by a degree or two before he walks beside them with purpose. He's grown since she first met him, passing for a high schooler now as he has grown taller than her. His hair is still spiked up but hangs loosely compared to when he was still a grade school appearing kid, giving off a softer but mature look to him. "You're late, Kurosaki," he says tersely.

Karin scoffs, "I can see that, Toshiro. I got lost."

"Again?" She shrugs. "Incompetent."

"Not everyone is a prodigy like you are, Toshiro," Karin replies, and he shakes his head with a sigh. "Well. Let's go, I have important shit to do."

The captains and their lieutenants are lined up, waiting for the final three to arrive. But it isn't tense, or even particularly formal feeling, as Karin walks inside. She nods to her brother where he stands, clearly at home despite the bitch fit he threw about coming here years ago. "Now that we're all here," Kyouraku says, stretching his arms above his head with the faintest bit of pink on his cheeks, "let's get this meeting started. Central 46 thinks we need a break from the other cases, so we're going to be looking at new ones. Specifically, ones that might be related to Aizen."

Aizen Sosuke. The name that stirs anger and discontent among most Shinigami, even after his assistance in the Thousand Year War. Karin has managed to avoid him, luckily, but the scars he left behind are visible to any and everyone. Karin takes the folder as it's passed out and opens it. Staring back is a woman with partial heterochromia iridium- one eye a beautiful midnight blue and the other a swirl of that blue and silver that seem to stare into her soul. "And they want us to start with one in particular," Kyouraku continues, sounding a bit displeased with such a decision.

"The Mouse?" Ikkaku asks, the very notion seeming to sound impossible to him. Karin takes in the reactions of the others, finding they think similarly. "Tch, the Mouse was too... Mousey to have anything to do with Aizen."

"Her dedication to Ichimaru could say otherwise," Soi Fon comments, even as she almost seems to doubt it herself. "If he asked it of her, perhaps she would do it. It's far more likely she would, at least."

Karin skims the basic information.

Name: Olaug  
Height: 5"5  
Eyes: Blue  
Hair:Blonde  
Zanpakutou type: N/A  
Zanpakutou name: N/A

"Who the hell is she?" Ichigo questions, deciding it would be easier to have opinions of the others than to read the damn file handed to him.

Surprisingly, it's Toshiro who answers. "Olaug of the Third Division, also called the Mouse of the Third Division. She was easily the fastest to come from her graduation class, and she was on the lower end of average in every other category. She was offered a position in the Onmitsukido, but she chose the Third Division instead. Ichimaru took a liking to her, and he used her as a secretary of sorts. But he also tried to help her tremendously, even going as far as requesting I train with her."

"Thanks for what the file could have told me, but I want to know what she was like," Karin states, looking down at the file once more. "She wasn't too strong if she didn't know the name of her Zanpakutou."

Silence ensues, and Karin looks up to see what is happening for them to be so unnervingly quiet. All captains and lieutenants are gazing at Toshiro with something akin to pity in their eyes. He sighs. "I graduated with her. She was dedicated to her studies, even if she knew she would only ever be average. She placed all lives above hers in importance, and she was enduring, loyal to a fault, and caring. She seldom raised her voice, seldom said a harsh word, and she always, no matter what, tried her best. Which is why I don't believe she would have assisted Ichimaru in anything. She's dead. Has been for a hundred and eighty three years."

No one responds, despite their natural tendencies to rebuke any sort of weakness of sentimentality. Karin watches each of them hold their tongues for a minute before the dismissal is sounded, with a reminder to check into it. Karin returns home with little more thought than that, the file in hand.

* * *

Momo enters the dojo with butterflies flitting around in her stomach. She knows before she enters that two are already present, though she isn't quite sure who it is exactly. But the scene she finds isn't quite unfamiliar as Bakugou stands threateningly over a trembling Midoriya, explosions popping in the palms of his hands. "I-I was invited yesterday, K-Kacchan," Midoriya stutters fearfully.

"Yesterday?! The hell were you invited for, fuckin' nerd?!" Bakugou continues to shout. _How unbearably loud he can be sometimes..._

"Because he clearly has the same inner power we do," Todoroki states as he enters the dojo, setting his bag on the ground next to the other two's belongings. Momo remembers then that her own bag is still on her shoulder and sets it down quietly. "Whatever it is that Miss East looks for, the four of us in this room have it. It's likely that we have a lot of it."

Momo looks around the dojo. It's a plain environment, filled only with the bare necessities, as if it were created recently. Or remodeled perhaps? Unlikely... "Is she here yet?" Momo dares to ask. "I don't imagine Olaug would be late to anything."

"And I'm not," the woman in question answers, walking inside from behind them, "but you lot are here earlier than I expected. It's not a bad thing, of course, but it means I look kinda stupid, don't you think?" Her smile is warm as ever as she walks inside, wearing the Hero costume that has become iconic as the decades pass. There are even whispers she'll be changing the design soon, Momo remembers briefly.

The under layer consists of a white undershirt that sticks to her like a second skin but is an incredible piece of armor. The upper layer is ripped in certain places, no doubt at the request of the Support Department of her time, and chains link the front and back of her top together, as well as the bottom of her top and the top of her bottoms, clinking gently and glinting gold in the light. Then her Zanpakutou at her hip.

"Tch. Shitty teacher, why are they here?" Bakugou asks, pointing at Momo and the other two.

Indignation flares within her. Of the recommended students, _she_ was the first to break through the barrier and turn the machine off. And as she opens her mouth to say as much, Olaug gently cuts her off with a soft laugh. "Now, now, Bakugou, you know I had plans for more than one student. While you are undeniably talented, I also see potential in the other three students. If you're not careful, they'll pass you up in no time," she says, and a completely unfamiliar blade edges her voice in challenge.

Momo takes all of her in. _Familiar, yet not. Known, yet unknown. It appears the Immortal Hero has more to her than anyone knows._ "I dare you to say that again, shitty teacher," Bakugou returns, seething, and Momo can swear his gaze darts straight to Midoriya before returning to Olaug. "I'm the best there's ever gonna be! Better than you, and better than All Might!"

To this, Olaug tilts her head, and Momo feels her reiatsu as it sinks on them slowly, lazily, until a sweat begins to form and a shiver runs down her back. "If you're not careful, Bakugou Katsuki, then the other students will pass you in no time. And if you ever really think you can beat two hundred years of experience, then come at me. But in here, you're not Hero students. You're my students, which means what you'll be learning is applicable to any part of your life.

"Welcome to Hell, kids. If your own abilities and expectations don't break you, I certainly will."


	5. Investigation

"Welcome to Hell, kids. If your own abilities and expectations don't break you, I certainly will."

As I look at each of them, one by one, I'm pleased by the amount of determination and downright arrogance that stares back at me. Even Todoroki Shouto's eyes glint with a small amount of cockiness, a dare to challenge him in the first place. "Line up," I order softly, and the children waste no time in settling themselves in order, opting to go by alphabetical order right to left. "Remember this order. I expect you to maintain this order in every public and private appearance. If one of you is out of line, I'll know. I'll know, and you'll pay the price for it."

I set my Zanpakutou on the ground and pace in front of them. "In this dojo, you will refer to me as 'Olaug' or 'teacher' and no other names will be acceptable. I'm looking at you, Bakugou. Curse in my dojo, and see exactly how long I'm willing to make you run. I will not tolerate self-deprecation, and I will test your limits. I will knock you down harder than you've been knocked down before, and I_ will_ expect you to get back up. Some days, you'll leave crying of defeat... others of victory. This next year will make or break your career, do you understand me?"

"Yes, teacher." Synchronized, as if it were practiced, and not a single one of them letting their surprise be too obvious. Almost as if they may have just damn well been made for this.

"Perfect. You're learning already," I state and head to the rack of sparring weapons. Blunted tips make them less dangerous while still maintaining the weight they can expect to hold in an actual battle.

Yaoyorozu asks in a small voice, "What are we going to be learning? You haven't told us."

The four are all interested in the question, and I lean on one leg. "Let's see you make it through your first week of training, and then I'll tell you," I decide easily, tossing her a sparring weapon. The weight of it is much lighter than my own Zanpakutou, but her arms sag with the effort to hold it. "If you're going to be here, you'll find yourself learning an awful lot about your limits, starting with these. I want you to have to make an effort to hold these, so you can become stronger. So you can get used to being exhausted and continuing the fight."

I lift up another and size the boys up. I toss it to Bakugou, who sneers at me until he tries to hold it up. "Hand it to Midoriya," I tell him before turning back to the wall. I find one for the next two and stand before them once more. "Every day, these are the ones you'll use until I deem you ready to move on. This week especially."

Taking my Zanpakutou in my hands, I unsheathe it, and a low growl curls around my head. "I'm going to show you your warmup, then your first three exercises for every day, and then we'll start working on your actual training. Get ready."

* * *

Karin pushes her body up as she stares at the file in front of her, eyes narrowed at it. In an effort to get away from his Division, Toshiro has appeared in her apartment with the same file beneath piles of paperwork, each stack easily higher than his head. She bends her arms again and pushes up once more, the mental count long gone as her body shouts in protest at the exercise. The woman is by no means familiar to her, but she knows how irritable Toshiro has been lately, how it may have even upset him to a certain degree to be put on this particular case. He cared about her. Might even still care.

She rests on the floor and reads the paragraph again. It contains mostly background information about her grades and where she grew up, as well as a few comments from her instructors that all amount to the same thing: her instincts are spot on, her technique is perfect, but she'll only ever be average. And don't forget she's the fastest Shinigami Shino has seen since Shihoin Yoruichi. But to figure out where she went would require asking someone who knew her, and, well...

**You care too much, idiot. Just ask him. If he gets upset, it's his own fault.**

_If he gets upset, then it's my fault, and where will he go to get away from his Division?_ Karin shoots back at her Zanpakutou.

**We are solving a cold case. He can help despite his feelings. Don't forget he is still a captain, even if you're able to get him to act like he isn't on some basic level,** she replies, and Karin's gaze travels to the captain in question. She doesn't think his paperwork stack has gotten any shorter as he stares blankly at the paper in front of him. It's unlike him to stay on one stack for so long, nonetheless on one sheet. **Oh, wow... he looks really upset, doesn't he?**

_Now do you see why I won't ask?_

Because it isn't just the mere fact that he's spent so much time on just the one thing, but it has so much more to do with the little things she has picked up over the years of knowing him. The struggle to keep his scowl at its normal level, not too deep but still certainly a frown, is obvious in the tiniest wobble of his facial muscle to keep it up. Or the distraction in his turquoise eyes that can only be known to a few, the storminess and cloudiness compare to their usual sharp and clear state. It's the tension lining his shoulders that continues into his arms.

"What is it?" Toshiro asks, sighing as he sets his pen to the side and rubs his face. He looks vaguely like a high schooler failing to understand a math equation for a moment or two. "It's about the case, isn't it?"

Karin stands up and grabs a towel to wipe the sweat from her neck, shoulders, and face. "Yeah, it is. I just don't want you to get mad and storm out," she responds honestly, knowing how much he values such a trait. "I figure that's why you're leaving your Division so often. Rangiku wants to know what you know, and you... care about this case, are personally connected to it. Who was she to you?"

He leans back and his arms curl around the back of the couch as he spreads out, exhaustion pouring from every pore. A long silence settles between the two before he says, "I graduated from Shino in a year. At that time, she was in her final year of education, so I am technically part of her graduation class. I was young, but I knew I was different from the others, that they hated me for what I could do. All of them did, except for Olaug. She didn't approach me on purpose. She didn't approach anyone on purpose, since she was far too nervous. They called her a 'mouse' long before she was in the Third."

"So how did you meet?" Karin asks, perching herself on a chair. Getting him to talk about their history can get her closer to learning about Olaug herself.

"Seven of our classmates intended to bully me, finding their odds were better the more there were. I still know their names and their faces. Four have died. The other three have remained lower ranked Shinigami since graduation." Jealousy, then, that Olaug might not have felt. Or a great amount of self interest in her own future with such a promising young boy by her side. "They landed one good hit before she grabbed me and pulled me out of the way, far faster than our classmates. Tears were in her eyes, and her body shook with fear, but... she smiled at me, said I would be fine, and we ran."

"So she prefers running over fighting?"

"She did," Toshiro says, "until a year into being an official Shinigami. Then she was fine with fighting."

Karin stands up and sighs. So shame likely isn't the culprit of this disappearance. She can't be too much of a coward. "What about places where she was more comfortable? Crowds or alone?"

"Ichimaru's side," he growls in reply, clearly upset by the idea, or the memory of just how at peace she was next to him.

The female throws him a dark look. "I meant in general."

He remains silent for an odd amount of time, mulling the question over. "She was fine either way. She had no preference. But Olaug always watched the night sky alone. She would find the tallest building and perch there, by herself, until dawn if you let her." Better than nothing, which is what she had before. "Olaug's intuition was always right. Which is why I never understood how she was so comfortable around that snake. She followed any and all leads she could find on anything remotely fishy. The cases we could have solved thanks to her..."

"Wait," Karin says, her mind taking in what he said. Olaug was Ichimaru's... pet, for lack of a better term, and she would have wanted him protected at any and all times. If she saw Aizen as a threat to that, perhaps she would have tried to do something. Olaug wouldn't have stood a chance, but if there is a chance that she ended up one of his experiments, then perhaps she could be found that way. "How did she feel about Aizen?"

Toshiro's eyes widen, and he stands up quickly, grasping his Zanpakutou. "She was uncomfortable around him. Those were the times she would take any excuse to leave the Division barracks, to leave Ichimaru's side. I even heard she got into a fight with him once over the ridiculous amount of time they spent together." Soon the haori is over his shoulders, and he appears the captain he is once more, all trace of familiarity and vulnerability gone. "I'll kill him if it means I get the answers I need."

"Wait, Toshiro-"

He's gone. Karin sighs and grumbles beneath her breath about over zealous captains before picking up the file again. She makes notes in her notebook about what she learned before resting on her couch. "Night sky, huh?" Karin mutters to herself as she looks out her own window. She looks back to the file, onyx eyes narrowing. She takes the file into hand and flips to the back where her records of going into the World of the Living are recorded. Only six trips, and all of them were strictly business. But this one...

**_Hollow Eradication Mission 1213_**

Her phone rings with a reminder about a group meeting, and Karin sets it to the side for now.

* * *

She rolls her shoulders up, a yawn escaping her. Her home is quaint, quiet, and perfectly suited to her needs. Ichimaru Gin rests against a tree across the street from her home, silver hair hidden beneath a cap and shades covering his eyes. The only way to possibly recognize him is by the smile on his lips, stretching them out no matter what he truly feels. Like now, watching her in her home, having made something of herself, and all without him there to see it happen, pushing a selfishly heavy weight he doesn't want onto his chest.

Olaug was his favorite, and there never has been a need to deny it. It was cute to him how Kira tried to not have a crush on her despite the long hours she spent in his office when Ichimaru needed to be alone or was expecting Aizen. Immediately upon exiting the academy, she could have easily gone into the Onmitsukido and made something of herself, find a seat within a handful of years, and lived comfortably. Asking for her had merely been a whim, but then she accepted his bid. She came to the Snake of the Seireitei, to the Division with no real significance except to keep up the spirits of the Gotei with tricks and the like. Taking her had been a whim, but keeping her close was a fully conscious decision.

Devoted. The first word he uses to describe Olaug. Almost all of his recruits looked to work hard and play hard, and devoted is a word used to describe many of them. But not like Olaug, not the one who it can be a goddamn staple of her personality. The Mouse of the Third Division shied away from fights, silently made her mark, and wormed her way into the hearts of so many. And though all of her teachers claimed she'd never be more than average, he saw she wasn't average, not in the slightest. Sure, she would never be captain material, even if she managed to attain Bankai, but she would be a higher seated individual, maybe third or fourth underneath him.

"Of course your fate would lie outside the Gotei," he murmurs to himself, watching her as she curls up on her couch with a movie on, Zanpakutou within reaching distance. The reishi around him is so much he can feel how awkwardly he hides himself in it, using too much. Like a curtain straightened where it isn't meant to be. It bothers her sometimes, rubs against her the wrong way, but she doesn't do anything as a way of waiting. No foe would possibly be such a terrible spy.

Waking up had been quite the surprise. Waking up in a small town in Russia had definitely placed it among his least favorite surprises. But to see her beloved by all, looked up to, and doing her absolute damnedest for the public that looked up to her so... It feels right, even now. And to think he truly believed she was dead after that mission in the World of the Living, the one he specifically sent her on, to investigate that little warehouse on Korea's shores... How he mourned her presence, her personality, her in general. Now to find her here.

A pair walk to the door, a pair he has seen before. They're close to Olaug, here so constantly and always at her beck and call. Eraserhead and Present Mic are their hero names, even if he hasn't found the time to discover their true names. They act more like her sons than anything else, even as Olaug actively keeps secrets from them both for her own protection or for herself.

"Watching her again?"

Kurogiri. Perhaps not his brightest idea to join up with a group so nefarious- well, more like a particular two individuals- but old habits never truly die. If it means he might be able to keep her safe, even for just the smallest of seconds, he's willing to do this. He did it for Ran before. He can do it now. "Am I really so predictable?" Gin asks, turning towards him.

"Only to someone who pays attention." Kurogiri watches the three Heroes in the home, laughing together as they set up a different movie and pop bags of popcorn. Present Mic is happy and makes a loud joke that results in Olaug putting him in a headlock and Eraserhead eating popcorn as he watches with amusement. A celebration of something. "She eradicated three Hollows today that appeared in Canada. They're celebrating."

Three Hollows. All together, working as a unit, and working hard enough to injure her. He spotted the claw marks as soon as she came home, enough to make her favor her left side ever the slightest. How strong has she truly become? She is still the Mouse of the Third Division... isn't she?

* * *

I take up the tests from my students and go to the front. A few look vaguely panicked about their newest scores while the others are relaxed, at ease, acting as if it's a promised decent or better grade. "Alright, so now that that's over. Let's get on with our lesson for today. What makes a Hollow a 'non-human entity' legally or otherwise is our lesson topic for today. I hope you're ready to take notes today," I announce to the group and turn on the projector.

"Awh, there's gotta be somethin' better to talk about!" Kaminari complains, pouting at me.

Chuckling, I lean against the desk and ask, "Oh? Like what?"

"Something," Sero groans, hand in his palms. "After all that mumbo jumbo Cementoss was tossing at us earlier, I don't know if I can handle another lecture with so many notes like that..."

A look at the clock and the date informs me of enough. I haven't had to miss many days so far, for this class at least, and it puts them ahead of the other classes by days. I can cut them some slack today. "Alright, then we'll discuss something else. What would you like to talk about?" I ask and sit on the desk with a quick gesture to turn the projector off. My students' eyes light up in excitement and relief. "Let's see... What are we gonna do today?"

"We could ask you questions about your experiences?" Uraraka suggests, her eyes glazing over in an expression I've come to recognize as one she takes every time she sees me. "Everyone can write one down and give it to you!"

"Fair enough," I muse as the students begin tearing pages out of their notebooks and further tearing them down. My heart flutters and then sinks as I stare out at the group of students. They find this so exciting because they know almost nothing about me. But how many times have I allowed students this privilege? I used to make a point to have a day dedicated to such a thing, but then my heart started sinking lower and lower, loneliness settled further and further into my bones, and it stopped being worth it. So I stopped doing it.

One by one, the students stick them on a pile in a way that I can't read the questions. I'll be able to tell from their handwriting, but I give them the air of anonymity anyway, deciding the students can have it for such a frivolous situation. Ashido is the last to turn in her question, though I get the feeling it's because it's multiple questions instead of just one. "Ready?" I ask rhetorically, picking a slip up and opening it. "'What is your favorite color?' Well, my favorite color usually varies decade to decade, but I always have a special place in my heart for forest green."

"I told ya! You owe me ten, Mina!" Sero calls out. The pink girl in question grumbles.

I giggle and move on. The questions remain fairly innocent, asking my favorite food, my preference, a few outrageous would you rathers I wasn't sure were school appropriate. The handwriting is immediately recognizable, though I see some changes like he tried to hide who he is. "'How often do you get lonely?'" The class goes quiet, and I try not to let me gaze go to the boy in question, even as his bicolored eyes stay directly on me. "I... get lonely quite often. At least three or four times a day. I'm two hundred years old, surrounded by people, but they keep changing. They keep growing older and older while I stay the same... just me. Even worse are the ones who don't grow old. Being lonely is routine for me by this point."

Trying to move on, my hand floats to the pile again. Todoroki speaks up. "If you're so lonely, then why don't you take a husband? Or a wife?"

"And do what? Wait for them to die too?" He probably would have been less surprised if I slapped him. "It doesn't matter what someone is to me. They're going to die. That's why I can't- or won't- love anyone. I won't take a husband or a wife. I won't have children. I won't formally adopt. It's just another title to tack onto our relationship when letting go is hard enough."

Yaoyorozu speaks this time, her entire body shaking. A lot of the kids appear close to crying out of sorrow or pity for me. "How do you live like that? How do you live knowing you're going to outlive everyone else? I can't imagine..."

My voice is rough even to me, with the tears that have to remain unshed. "If I don't live like this, how many people do you think Hollows will eat?"

"That can't be the only reason you have for living," Iida mutters, mouth agape. "There has to be something more. Isn't there?"

Of course there is. I don't want to die, but it's not like I can go home. I can't do anything more than exist here and live like this. The hope has long since faded from my heart that the Gotei will find me, will take me home, but it still exists, tiny embers of what it had once been. I want to see a day where I see everyone I care about again. A day where I sit in the Third Division barracks and do paperwork, or run errands for the captains, or even just see my friends again. My captain, Yukino, Madarame, Rangiku, and, to a particular extent, Hitsugaya Toshiro. I want to see them again, even if it means they don't see me.

But I can't tell them that. I can't tell them I want to see my friends again because I know there's a chance they won't die within my lifetime.

"I don't really want to die. But I have no one. The ones I do have are so temporary, gone so soon for me. At first it was fine, but then I started seeing their grandchildren die. Then it became more complicated. I hardly ever feel Human anymore." The smile on my face feels like brittle plastic. "I'm immortal after all."

* * *

Karin stares at the building in front of her with narrowed eyes. The Gotei has never been shy with mortal money, considering they somehow manage to never run out of it, so this warehouse playing as the HQ and the sleeping arrangements for Hollow Eradication Mission 1213 doesn't fly with her. Nonetheless the fact she doesn't recognize any of these names, not even the commanding seated officer... and the fact he was on another mission on another continent. None of it adds up.

But this warehouse... it's been rundown for years according to the people around here, and there isn't a barrier over it to suggest maybe the Gotei had it renovated. It's just here, falling apart, out of place. But if Olaug's mission was here and nothing else lines up then how come this building even actually does exist in the first place? Does Aizen have something to do with it? If he does, then could it be this is where Olaug has been for nearly two centuries? But who actually sent her here, and who trusted her enough to send her here without a commanding officer or a squadron? Could it be this truly even was a Hollow Eradication Mission?

Unlikely. Highly unlikely. And stupid of her to believe for even a second that there was any other option than for Olaug to be dead. Gone. Never to return. "And now I gotta go take a look," she murmurs to herself, blissfully invisible to the rest of the world. Being in another country would be problematic if she weren't, and it was only thanks to that old bastard's new portable gigais she was able to gather any local intel at all.

And that was hard enough. This place gives even the most reckless and least likely to survive to adulthood a feeling so bad they refuse to approach. Even Karin has to ignore her gut telling her to run back and never return, to just go. Nothing here can possibly be worth whatever she's looking for. But the anger she saw on his face, how quickly he shut down to become the captain he always is otherwise, reminds her of exactly who is relying on her to find these answers. Even Ikkaku's voice flits through her mind, echoing. She could have been done by now if the pit in her stomach would just fucking disappear.

Her phone rings, and her heart jumps in reply as she fumbles to get it out of her pocket. Her brother's face flashes across the screen, and she holds it to her ear. "What's up?" she greets easily, pretending her heart didn't nearly burst from her chest.

Ichigo's voice drips with ire, and she can hear Rukia fussing in the background. _"Where the hell are you? It's Renji's birthday, remember?"_

Shit. She had forgotten. Karin sighs. "Yeah, yeah, I got caught up in the investigation. I'll be there soon. Don't wait for me," Karin commands before hanging up without a goodbye. Goodbyes aren't her thing. She takes a step towards the abandoned warehouse before a Shunpo lands her directly in the center.

**It's definitely falling apart,** Ortus comments in the back of her mind, wrapping her in comforting warmth. **Perhaps the Gotei should buy this place up.**

_I doubt anyone would use it._ Karin's reiatsu reaches out and flits over everything, coating it in something distinctly her. _It feels strange though, unlike the rest of the World of the Living and very much unlike the Seireitei. Do you feel it?_

**Yes. There's a huge concentration of reishi right here, and it fades out roughly two miles in each direction. But this amount is so much for any abandoned warehouse in the World of the Living, and maybe even for most areas of the Seireitei. And it almost feels like a disturbance in the gravity fields of this area. Just what the hell-**

"BEGONE SHINIGAMI!"

Karin falls to the ground as the Hollow catches her off guard, hiding among the shocking amount of reishi, and she cries out in pain as a stinger rips through her shoulder. "What the fu-"

The world goes white.

* * *

By the end of day six of training, I am sufficiently satisfied and surprised at the sheer effort the students are putting into pleasing me, pushing their boundaries and then some. Even Enji has texted me to mention just how exhausted and sore his son has been these last few days, something close to a compliment from the fiery male. I sit on the mat and tilt my head as the four line up in front of me, in order as I've taught them to always be in my presence.

The students have it in them to be more than the average Shinigami. It's all I've ever been, just so much faster. That is what has saved my ass more than anything, especially in this world where I have no other form of Shinigami backup. Sometimes I think that's where I first met the idea of loneliness, even if I failed to acknowledge it until I came to be here, surrounded by mortals with lifespans so much shorter than my own.

Loneliness... Even now it manages to creep in as I consider what to tell them today. I know one day I'll have to tell them about the Seireitei and the Gotei and the threat they're under for merely existing, nonetheless for learning to use this power. Just as they did to him, I have no doubt they'll try to turn these kids into their perfect soldiers. But I can't just tell them "Hey, what's up, I'm dead, and my previous employers are going to either kill you or kidnap you and make you their soldiers if they ever find us, but it's fine, XOXO" like it's no big deal. Because it is a big deal.

But I tell them little by little every day. The first day, it was merely that I was trained to take down Hollows. The second day, that I grew up on the streets. The third day, that I'm actually only average where I come from. The fourth, about Menos Grande. The fifth, about what Hollows really do and the true threat they pose to society. Today I have to tell them something new, seeing as tomorrow will be their day off. Then I owe them answers.

"Now for your mini-lecture of the day," I say and lift my Zanpakutou into the air. "What is this?"

Midoriya, a Hero analysis expert and keenly observant, pipes up immediately. "Well, it's the sword you've had since you became a Pro Hero. Some say it's a relic in your family, and others have more... theatrical theories about its importance in your life and to your Quirk," he says before bashfully looking to the side. "I think it has to do with your Quirk too. or at least with how you're so fast..."

"Close," I tell him and look to the others.

"Is it..." Yaoyorozu bites her lip to fully concentrate, a thousand phrases running through her head. It has to be more than "close" or I won't give her the congratulations she yearns for. "It's something you use to take care of Hollows, but it does something more than just kill them, doesn't it? I've seen Heroes who weren't approved take out Hollows, and the way they disappear is different from those you've approved and when you yourself do it."

I nod. "It is very different, Yaoyorozu."

**Now, mistress?**

_Go for it._

The shadows of the room all converge to one point, and he slowly rises from the floor, wolf form as imposing out of battle as it is in battle. Midoriya's eyes widen as he sees the creature again after that brief glimpse the other day, and the other three stare at it with intrigued eyes, fear flickering for a moment. He huffs a laugh before curling up behind me, providing a backrest. I lean into him, and he settles fully. "It's called a Zanpakutou," I tell them.

"'Soul Slayer'?" Bakugou mutters with narrowed eyes, crimson staring at the largest threat in the room. He can feel it in his bones just how dangerous this form is. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Hollows aren't classified as Humans. Specifically as 'Non-Human Entities' in legal standings and in textbooks. This guy right here isn't a Human either, and he never was," I tell them, reaching out to rub between his ears. I lift my sword. "He's connected to my soul and to this. My Zanpakutou is an extension of my inner power- the one all of you are learning to wield here. One day, I will learn his name, and then I'll be even stronger than I am now."

Todoroki rolls his eyes. "You're plenty strong enough, don't you think?"

My eyes drop to the floor, and the wolf behind me growls in reply. Todoroki doesn't even blink as he meets the eyes of my companion, who wishes he could will him into submission. The other three watch with worry and interest, to see who breaks first. Despite myself, I rest a hand on my companion, and his growling stops immediately. Instead, he says, "Mistress isn't strong at all, not when she can be compared to the four of you."

I turn a sharp eye to him. "Enough." But the damage is done. My students stare with surprise and apprehension. "I'll answer your questions the next time we meet. Tomorrow is your break, remember tha-"

Yaoyorozu turns in the direction of the Hollow appearance, and I stand as my companion gets to his feet with his haunches raised and body lowered to the floor. I glance at my students and ask, "Would you like to see Hollow killing in the public eye?"

Even though two try not to show it, all four of them trip over themselves to hang onto me or to my companion.

* * *

Tch. How useless.

His blue eyes stare out at the vast desert in front of him, a brief wind ruffling his blue locks and tickling the bit of bone still stuck on his face. The Hollows are getting restless, becoming more self involved again, and rivalries are starting up again. Harribel can do what she wants to keep the peace, but a Hollow's basic instinct will always win out when it comes to eating. Those shitty Shinigami are just going to have to learn to deal with that.

And yet there is something electrifying in the air. Something is off about the area, like it's a trap waiting to spring closed. It makes him uneasy, makes his sense prickle so he can't fucking sleep. That's the worst part of it, that he can't fucking sleep. "Where the fuck is that stupid Rosa anyway?" he mutters aloud, feeling across the desert for any trace of her. She's been missing for weeks now. It's unlike her to keep from crawling into his bed and pissing him off at every chance she can possibly find. Damned bitch.

His senses are late to pick it up. A bright light flashes before him, a tugging on his very existence prompting an immediate revulsion in his stomach. As the light fades away, it's no longer a desert surrounding him but a forest. Sunlight streams through the leaves, and clouds pleasantly float by in the sky above him. His head turns, and it weighs nothing, and his body falls to the ground.

_"Grimmjow. I think you'll make an excellent addition to my plan."_


	6. Questions

My companion and I land on a rooftop near the Hollow as it wreaks havoc on downtown Tokyo, the students still latched onto each of us. I shake them off as I get a good look at the Hollow. The shape of it is distinctly scorpion, complete with a stinger, and it seems to be having a meltdown with curses and angered words flying in each and every direction. The destruction is immense, each wave of his tail bringing a new set of costs to the people, and its long, thing legs stab into the ground like a tantruming child stomping his or her foot.

"What the hell is wrong with it?" Bakugou grunts, eyes narrowed in caution. I shrug my shoulders, sweeping the area for potential victims, but the Heroes have done a very good job of getting the people out of the line of fire- and the people are doing an even better job running away from the scene. The area is already evacuated, so now I have less to worry about as far as human life goes, even as the news reporters attempt and fail to get the shots they love.

"You really don't see the sword hanging out its side?" Todoroki states and points to it.

My eyes go straight to it, and my heart stops. It looks like- "Mistress, there!" my companion growls, disappearing in an instant. A body is on the ground, unmoving, and surrounded in blood. But she is, unmistakably, wearing the shihakusho of a Shinigami of the Gotei Thirteen of the Seireitei. One of my own- finally- here to do something, to help me with this world that weighs so heavily on my shoulders. My students jerk forward to help her despite the very clear and very deadly drop to the ground they might not have the skills to survive before the Hollow lets out a roar, and then a cero from its stinger. Red lights my face, even as it connects with a building closeby and it begins to crumble.

I grasp my Zanpakutou's hilt. I face my students, on the edge of the building and say, "Watch and learn, kids. Might be useful in the future." Midoriya and Yaoyorozu exclaim their fear and surprise when I allow myself to fall backwards, wind rushing all around me, blood pumping in my ears.

Body twisting, I put myself between the next cero and a building, using the blade of my Zanpakutou to block the attack as weak as it is. "Must return- must return- must go back- my Lord will be angry- must return-" the Hollow mutters frantically, almost afraid. Its "lord" won't be a problem by the time I'm done with it. It hisses when it spots me, the name of my people more like a curse and plague than anything else. Not that I mind.

I have to put on a show for the people, to make sure they know they're safe. But defeating this Hollow won't be difficult at all. It's a slow creature, taking entirely too many seconds between each attack to hide what it is going to do. My companion stands over the Shinigami girl, acting as a barrier between her and this monster, and even attempting to channel some of our reiatsu into healing Kido.

The stinger knocks some debris into the air, and I wince as an iron pipe from beneath the sidewalk whacks into my side. It tackles me, slamming all of its weight into my body to knock me down. My back hits the ground audibly, and all breath whooshes from my body in a breath that hurts my chest. "Shinigami- why so familiar Shinigami?" it asks, leaning down further. "Wait- you are the first Shinigami who found my Lord's warehouse!"

_Warehouse? What the hell?_

A pain splits my head for a second as a crystal clear image burns itself into my brain of some abandoned warehouse on a rainy day. I attempt to raise a hand to my head only to find it pinned down. "No matter! I'll just kill you both, and my Lord's warehouse will remain secret! I won't have failed him!" The stinger comes nearer and nearer to my face, the sharp tip barely a centimeter from my eye. I feel four reiatsus spike in concern before my companion is attacking the stinger, keeping it in his mouth as it swings him from side to side. Somehow, he succeeds in staying out of sight of cameras.

I stumble to my feet, a hand on my chest in the hopes it might help me draw breath. The Hollow shrieks and curses at my companion until he disappears, barely unseen by the media yet again. I angle my Zanpakutou, deciding this has been enough so far. The Hollow doesn't stand a chance as I use Shunpo to attack. The blade slices through cleanly.

It disappears. The public claps. I begin moving towards the Shinigami.

Instinctively, I look towards my students as Yaoyorozu's reiatsu flares violently and a new, unfamiliar reiatsu appears. It's menacing, and so much more malevolent than Rosa's reiatsu had been, much more of a throat to my students especially. My gaze catches on something humanoid and holding her so close to the edge; close enough it would only take one movement and she would fall to her death.

Lightning coats my body as I pull her away from him, holding her close to my body. My breaths come out in pants as the others begin to recognize what has happened. He stands tall and cocks his head with a smug smirk, and my gaze falls on the mask fragment at his jaw. "Aren't you a quick one?" he asks, voice deep enough to make me feel like prey in front of me. "I wondered how long you would take to get the girl, but you were so quick I didn't even get to start my counting. Who the hell are you, Shinigami? Must be one of those Onmitsukido bastards, huh?"

"I've never even cooperated with the Onmitsukido," I state, my voice much stronger than I feel as I keep myself between him and my students. Yaoyorozu starts to cry a bit into my shirt, and I gently pass her to Midoriya, who places her behind him and the other two. I stand straight as my companion is on the roof with the girl in seconds, the cameras down below too busy with the damage to pay mind to the fact I'm no longer there, or using my teaching position as an excuse for my sudden departure. "My name is Olaug of the Third Division. Who are you?"

His cyan orbs inform me he has no intention of actually learning my name as a sneer spread across his features, anger flaring ever so briefly. This thing is easily passable as attractive, especially in this particular world, and his hair and eyes match beautifully. The way his body is built- like a warrior god or some shit- is a body anyone would die or kill for, to have for a night or for eternity. But the subtle details, the deepness of his scowl, the clear predatory air he carries, are all another thing entirely to be envied. His portrait could be worth hundreds, millions, maybe hundreds of millions of dollars.

He flashes to in front of me, using that same damned technique. My mind is immediately jolted, stopping me from checking him out even further despite the lack of distance between us now. His breath is hot on my face as he sneers, "Shit, Shinigami- you don't even know who I am? I'm one of the last Arrancar, you twit, and one of the names that signed your fucking legal document."

Interesting bit of information he's just dropped to me. The old man must be running out of options with these Arrancar, and the sheer power this one holds- if he isn't the strongest, then I have no doubt captains fell in battle to these Arrancar before whatever document forged a truce. I tilt my chin and declare truthfully, "I don't know what the hell you're talking about. I haven't been in contact with anyone from my home for the last century."

"Interesting..." His eyes flash, and his teeth gleam in front of me. He has a sort of sick pleasure in what I've just stated, some sort of knowledge that I'm fully unaware of. His eyes flick to the ones behind me before dismissing them. For now. "So that means your captain was Ichimaru, hunh? What was the name again?"

He must know what happened to my captain. He knows how my captain- why he isn't here anymore. And I'll get it out of him, one way or another. I mean for my voice to come out angry and demanding, but it instead sounds scratchy, breathy, just like the tears I'm holding back so that I whisper, "Olaug."

The smile he has is sick, stretching his skin until it bites into the mask fragment at his jaw like some sort of dimple. "You're the Mouse. His Mouse. Oh, they loved to tease him about his little Mouse, who fetched for him, who doted on him, who did every little thing he ever asked for," he guffaws, leaning back, standing at his full height that easily towers over me. I feel Todoroki inch towards me, protection and the sheer arrogance of believing he can win obvious in his guarded gaze. Then his voice drops, and he comes right next to my ear to ask, "Tell me, did you ever suck his cock like a good little Mouse?"

Gritting my teeth, I reach out and wrap my hand around his neck, blade biting into the skin at his belly where his Hollow hole is. Blood hot, I hiss, "I'm no one's anything. And you ever disrespect the professional relationship my captain and I have, you won't live long enough to regret it."

His hand wraps around my Zanpakutou, and he easily moves it away from his body despite my best effort. His cocky attitude makes me wish I'd just stabbed him immediately. He looks off to the side, expression bored, and sighs. He looks to my students once more, and I see how it clicks in his head what their roles are and just how little he cares about the number of rules I'm clearly breaking. "I'd love to fight you, Mouse, but I think I should go. Kurosaki over there needs your help. Do be good to her, and you might be forgiven by your Gotei captain assholes and spared execution."

"We are not-" He disappears by using that same technique, and I don't have the energy or time to run after him. Gritting my teeth, I turn from him and to my students, and the girl bleeding out on the ground. "Tell no one about her for now. We're going to my home, so don't be obnoxious," I command, lifting her up by the waist.

* * *

Aizen is just sitting there, like he has for the last twenty years since his defeat at the hands of Kurosaki and Urahara. Toshiro storms in, looking and feeling every inch the captain he is, projecting it out so not one Soul asks him a question about his intentions or what he's doing. His cold reiatsu declares his business is official, maybe even personal, and the scars he has from just this man alone start to itch in spite of their age. Nothing about him is friendly. Nothing about him is understanding. The unfeeling, cold, detached Shinigami captain stands before the traitorous son of a bitch.

The former captain lifts his head lazily, almost as if in greeting of a good friend. "Hitsugaya," he almost purrs. "What do I owe this honor?"

"Olaug."

The name alone sparks nothing in his gaze, even as it almost pains Toshiro to say it out loud again, to remember her and how this man may damn well be connected to her, may know where the fuck she has been for almost two centuries. Not that she'd even recognize Toshiro if she saw him right now. Aizen tilts his head, eyes upward, and he hums deep in his throat.

Toshiro grits out, "Olaug of the Third Division, the Mouse."

Now he remembers. "Ah. Ichimaru's pet." His blood boils at those words. At the idea he can debase her as an individual to being nothing more than a baseless animal- a domesticated thing. "A shame what happened to her. Wasn't she killed on a mission? Hollow extermination?"

_He's really going to pretend he doesn't fucking know?_ Toshiro's anger gets the best of him for a second, and his reiatsu freezes the ground surrounding the two of them, including Aizen's feet. Only the chains holding him down are unaffected.

"Olaug's intuition was always right." She was almost known for it- some even attributed it to her name of "mouse" because a mouse had to rely on strong instincts to survive as something so low on the food chain. He remembers it too well for that to be a lie. "And she despised the way she felt around you. I always waved her off, wrote it off as one time her instincts were wrong, but now? Now I know that isn't the case. What did you do to her? Was she an experiment?"

Aizen tilts his head, almost as if in an attempt to remember, but the answer is there in his gaze. Toshiro releases a breath, even as the rest of his body tenses up. "The Mouse was hardly on my scale of things to be concerned with. She was a trifle, nothing more, and so I never treated her as anything more than that. Ichimaru insisted she was meant to be Someone, capital S, but I never saw it. She wouldn't have been strong enough to be a worthy experiment, and she would have been greatly missed," he states, blissfully unaware that instead of riling the young captain even further, he actually helped in calming him down.

If she was never this son of a bitch's experiment, then she couldn't have suffered too badly. She couldn't be hiding from shame, from rejection. Still, Toshiro draws his arm back, and the punch Aizen takes is enough to draw blood from the former captain and to split the knuckles of Toshiro's fist. A quick Shunpo leads Toshiro out of the prison and outside. Even if he was wrong about what he thought of her, _at least he didn't touch her._

**Something to be grateful for, most certainly. But now we have no other leads.**

_We'll discuss it again with Karin. Later._

* * *

"Okay. I've done all I can," I say, pulling the mask from the bottom half of my face and setting the needle and thread down. My students have green tinted faces, even as they bravely try to stay with me and learn from this. I push the Shinigami back down onto my blood stained blue sheets and pull the blanket up. A note is already at her bedside, just in case.

They're in the living room by the time I close my bedroom door, finding somewhere to be to process what's happened today. An awful lot, between seeing a Hollow so close, the Arrancar, and the girl lying in my bed. Bakugou is surprisingly quiet, staring at the ground, brow furrowed in concentration as his red eyes swim with the memories. Yaoyorozu is still shell shocked, still processing her own near death experience, the rush of my Shunpo, and the girl. Midoriya is staring blankly ahead, afraid almost, as if only now fully realizing just how terrifying Hollows are.

It's not surprise that Todoroki asks, "So are you going to tell us what the hell just happened or not?"

_My name is Olaug of the Third Division. My captain is Ichimaru Gin. I'm a Shinigami._

My mouth goes dry as I realize this is it. This is the moment of truth. I walk past them and into my kitchen to the highest cabinet, pulling out a bottle of tequila and the clear, clean shot glass next to it. I pour a shot and take it back easily, grimacing at the burn. "Anyone else want a drink before I start? You might feel better about it," I offer, knowing damn well they're minors and this could get me in trouble with their parents and the school.

_My name is Olaug of the Third Division. My captain is Ichimaru Gin. I'm a Shinigami._

Silence, and then it's Yaoyorozu moving towards the counter. I pour it out for her, and she sips it slowly at first, almost like a cup of tea, then faster, like the first drink of a coke bottle, until all of it is in her system. She sets the glass down, coughing lightly with the glistening of tears in her eyes. "I respect that," I tell her honestly and pour another one to throw back for myself. "Anyone else? Last chance."

_My name is Olaug of the Third Division. My captain is Ichimaru Gin. I'm a Shinigami. My name is Olaug of the Third Division. My captain is Ichimaru Gin. I'm a Shinigami._

_My name is Olaug of the Third Division. My captain is Ichimaru Gin. I'm a Shinigami._

No one says anything, I put it up where it goes. "Sit down on the couch, all of you." My students obey, and they subconsciously get in order. I try not to smile at that as I run my hands through my hair. It's too long. I need to just cut it again. Chains clink together as I pull it up and out of the way entirely, forming a rough bun. I lean against the entertainment center and state, as honest as I can, "I am not from this world."

Disbelief etches their features, and they exchange glances, even as a faint flush rises on the female student's face. It's only a light buzz, one that will fade quickly, and I soon catch Midoriya staring at the ground with his jaw clenched. Bakugou asks, "So you're like a fuckin' alien or some shit?"

"Not quite. You've heard the Hollows call me it for years. I'm a Shinigami."

"Like a fuckin' death god?"

"Yes," I reply with a straight face. "In actuality, I died well over two hundred and fifty years ago, was reborn as a Soul, and have lived since. I don't remember my life as a Human. And before you ask how I know I'm not Human, shut up and let me talk."

To my astonishment, they do. Patiently, they await for me to continue. I run my fingers through my hair. "I was born in the Thirtieth District of Eastern Rukongai, an area not too poor, but not wealthy enough to actively attend to the orphans running the streets. For all of my childhood, I had to rely on the kindness of adults, or on the stinginess of adults who refused to waste. I had to fight for food, for shelter, for the right to survive. I never had a mother or a father, that I know of anyway, but I was better off than a lot of people. My biggest threats were other orphans, and those are much better odds than the Eightieth District, where my opponents would be orphans, murderers, rapists, and any other form of scum you can think of."

I tell them about it all. About how the Seireitei functions, about the Gotei Thirteen, about the relationship between Rukongai and the Gotei, and then about my role in it all. I lift my Zanpakutou and hold him closely to me, and he makes a pleased noise in the back of my mind. "The best chance for a Soul to avoid being eaten by a Hollow is to become a Shinigami, to obtain a Zanpakutou, and to learn how to use it. But a Soul has to have a certain level of reiatsu for that to happen, and I'm one of the lucky Souls who has that level. I went to Shino to learn to be a Shinigami, and then sold my life to the Gotei Thirteen.

"Our job is to protect all Souls, regardless of what they've done. Some Souls can't come to the Soul Society and Hell drags them away kicking and screaming. Some are corrupted and turned into Hollows, doomed to eternal hunger or cleansing at my blade. Notice that word: cleansing. We don't kill Hollows. We cleanse them, and their Souls are finally allowed to move on. We routinely go to the World of the Living to search for Souls or to cleanse deadly Hollows. I will say 'kill' or 'exterminate' a Hollow, but only because it's what the eye sees and how the brain processes it.

"And how do I know I'm dead? Because if I were to go to the World of Living, where everyone is, as you call them, Quirkless, none of them would see me. None of them would talk to me, none of them would know I was existing in any form at all. And when someone dies and finds trouble in moving on, then no one can see them either. No one knows they exist in that form. And I have to send them on, whether they're ready or not."

My breath catches in my throat when I feel a flicker of reiatsu from outside, but it vanishes without a trace. Nothing too threatening then. I turn back to my students to find them catching up on this information, processing it. "If you have a question, now is a time to ask it," I say softly, deciding that's enough for today. They've been through enough, and it may have been wrong of me to answer their questions so soon.

Yaoyorozu asks, "Do we have to die to be like you?"

"Yes, you have to die," I tell her bluntly, "but it won't be like me. From studying Souls here and the unnatural levels of reishi, I know I can separate you from your body and unlock the Shinigami powers within you because you far and away exceed the level necessary. You'll be able to return to your bodies. So you'll be dead, but your body won't know it. I don't know how this will affect your aging process."

She goes quiet, her fears quelled for now. But Midoriya hesitantly lifts his head to ask, "So this is why you're so lonely all the time?" It attacks me suddenly, and I feel like I can't breathe for five seconds. "Because you've had to keep such a huge secret to yourself for so long? Because you know you'll take so much longer to age and die compared to everyone else? Because... because you never had a family, and what-what you had that resembled a home is gone now too?"

"It's much more complex than that, Midoriya," I tell him softly, forcing the tears back where they belong. "So much more complex that I don't think I can explain it without presenting more of an overload than you already have. I think that'll be it for today, okay, kids?"

"No." Bakugou's red eyes gut me as they narrow. "I have a fucking question. So you're training us to be these shitty fuckin' Shinigami, and from what you've said so far, it seems like there's something else you're not fuckin' tellin' us. If it were so fucking easy to make more Shinigami, then you fucking would have."

Todoroki catches on, and his dual colored eyes fall onto me with interest and some degree of worry. "Which means it either has to do with the Gotei, your personal health, or a risk we don't yet know of."

I look away and sigh. I can't just lie to them. I have to maintain their trust. But I can't tell them the truth and let them put themselves at risk either. Shit. "I... know you'll survive becoming Shinigami- I could do it right now and you'd only be out for a few days at most afterward. A few hours minimum. My health is fine, even if I'm considerably weaker than you four. But it is against the law of the Gotei Thirteen to do this. My intention is to pass some of my power to you and awaken the abilities within you."

That's my plan, because it will work. I may have made everyone forget, even the history books, but she did it. She did it. She had considerably less reiatsu than everyone here, and she maintained those Hollow abilities until her death forty years later. Her death at my hands. Somehow their reiatsu sticks onto the powers of Souls. And that mistake, the one I lie to everyone about, even myself sometimes, is testament enough too. "And the punishment?" Todoroki asks, gaze hard as he breaks me from my thoughts.

I refuse to meet that gaze. "Death," I answer. "But it's been a hundred and eighty years. They're not going to find me. They're not going to come for me. I'm just a memory, someone who was loyal, someone who died. It doesn't matter anymore. And besides, this is for the betterment of all Souls. My death is a small price to pay, and by that point...

* * *

_"By that point, I don't think it will be possible for them to kill you."_

Shouto rolls over in his bed, hoping to find comfort in his pillows. The statement was met with silence, incredulous silence, aggravated silence, and then the slamming of a door as Bakugou stormed out, and the disappointment of Midoriya, of Yaoyorozu, until just the two of them were in her living room staring at one another. Her quiet acceptance of an improbable death, and his disproportionate storm of pride and disappointment. How can a woman like that just accept death?

_Because she's already dead, you moron._

He rolls again, tossing his blanket off as it gets too hot. Goddamn it, why was she like this? The Immortal Hero- not so fucking immortal now, huh? There's no point in this stupid training bullshit if she just up and dies in the middle of it. Hopefully this doesn't all come to kill him anyway. Well, kill him more than she already plans to kill him so the power can come out fully or whatever bullshit it is.

What gives her the right anyway? No one gave her the fucking right because her organization- those Gotei fellows- made it against the law and punishable by death. It wouldn't be right. But if it results in her death, then just how is she justifying training them? Other than that she needs someone to carry on her legacy, but why four of them? Why the four of them now?

Goddamn it, he had fewer questions when he knew less.

_It was easier to sleep too._

His phone lights up to a hesitant text from Yaoyorozu into their groupchat. The only two who ever speak in it are Yaoyorozu and Midoriya, and even then it is incredibly rare to see a text from either one of them that isn't a question. Shouto stares at his ceiling, contemplating, before picking up his phone and unlocking it to read the text.

_Anyone awake? -YM_

She signs her texts, just in case one of them doesn't have her number saved. Shouto only does because Olaug insisted, and to piss his father off some more. However, it wouldn't be a surprise if Bakugou didn't have her number saved.

His phone vibrates again. Midoriya.

_Can't sleep either. Too many questions._

Shouto stares at the text messages open on his phone and releases a breath. He doesn't care for either one of them, but the intelligence of this group is higher than Mount Everest. If anyone can string together halfway accurate theories, it would be the four of them collectively. Before he can suggest a group call or otherwise, Bakugou's text comes through.

_Shitty bastards. I can't fucking sleep, so if you're going to fucking bother me, bother me in fucking person._

The dual colored male stares at his location as it comes through and drops his phone to his chest. He hates this feeling of not knowing. Not knowing is... a shitty thing to feel. Especially when it comes from Olaug, who hasn't necessarily lied to him and, despite making him one of her successors, looks at him as a human first and a thing last. Shouto throws the thing cloth he calls a blanket to the side and reaches his closet to take out some clothes.

It takes almost no time to find Bakugou, sitting in a park with a thin jacket and seeming to shiver. His form is hunched over, eyes narrowed in focus, and a frown deep on his lips. "Bakugou," he calls, and the blonde jerks up. "Anyone else here?"

"Tch. Didn't think you'd be such a fucking irritating bitch, half 'n' half," Bakugou bites back without answering, enough of an answer in itself. No one is just yet, because if Shouto is bothered by this, no doubt the other two are, who show much more emotion than Shouto himself. "Well? What's your fuckin' thoughts on this shitty mess?"

Shouto is quiet, deciding whether he wants to answer the question or simply leave it where it is. As he spots Midoriya walking towards them with a clearly upset expression and a soft greeting, the small male is going to make his opinion heard and clear. "I think she's still hiding more from us, and I don't know if we want to find it out or leave it where it is," he states simply, closing his eyes with a heavy sigh.

"No shit, Deku," Bakugou growls, annoyed. "They're willing to kill her because she is teaching us about Shinigami, and they're willing to kill us for learning about how to be Shinigami. What the fuck you think they're gonna fuckin' do to every other fucking weakling who fuckin' knows of her?"

He has a point. Just where would these men stop?

"And," Yaoyorozu murmurs as she enters the same light, her face down, "she said they're not going to find her. But things are so very clearly changing. Arrancar, a form of Hollow she's never seen before when she cleanses them for a living, have shown up and begun wreaking havoc. She's found not one, not two, but four people to be her successors. Add to it, think of how similar the clothes that woman wore are compared to Miss East's costumes throughout the ages."

The woman. He nearly forgot about her. Shouto hadn't given her much thought, but Yaoyorozu brings up an excellent point. Throughout her entire career, Olaug has stuck to a theme and only allowed minimal changes to her costume. No one has been entirely sure why for ages, but now it makes sense. "If she's a high ranking official, she could end Olaug's life as soon as she wakes up," Shouto points out.

"Bullshit she can," Bakugou says, his voice raising in volume as he jumps to his feet. Shouto's vision is filled with Bakugou's face as his lips are drawn back in a threatening sneer, red eyes almost overcome with anger. "No one can fucking kill Miss East or Olaug, and that shitty teacher better get used to the fucking idea she's fucking stuck here until I fucking say so!"

"We don't want her to die, Kacchan," Midoriya murmurs, quiet but seeming to be a scream a conversation of this caliber. Bakugou turns to him, redirecting his emotions. "Bu-but Todoroki is right... If that woman is high enough, then Miss East will not be so easily forgiven..."

Yaoyorozu is on the verge of tears. "So-so what do we do?"

"Not concern yourself with such matters," a voice interrupts smoothly behind them. The man is dressed in all black, and a hood obscures most of his face even as silver hair glints in the light. "Olaug wouldn't want you so worked up over something like that. She's always aware of the risks she takes, even when you're not. Something I've learned in my long time of knowing her is this: Olaug will not give up unless she has no choice, not before and not after."

"But if she's high ranking enough-"

"She isn't," he interrupts, and Shouto can see a smile on his face. "Kurosaki Karin isn't even an official member of the Gotei, not if she followed her brother's footsteps. And, if she was raised anything like he was raised, she'll see the reason to training you four and fight against the Gotei itself when the time comes. She'll befriend Olaug, and the two will be a force to be reckoned with. So stop ya worryin', go home, and rest while ya have the chance. Ya can't be kids forever."

Shouto watches him turn his back and begin walking away, having said his piece, but the air around the man feels so... strange. "Why are you doing that?" Yaoyorozu asks, grimacing. "That-that thing with the air. It's hiding you, isn't it? I can feel the way you move it-"

"'It' is called 'reishi,'" he supplies, still walking away. "You'll learn to do the same thing, only better than I can. Good luck on your studies, and make sure to get some rest."

It isn't much, and it maybe left him with even more questions, but Shouto feels something close to relief at his words. He called the woman by name, and he knows of her family. How does he know all that? Shouto doesn't want to know for now, and it isn't really his business anyway. At least Olaug is safe, even if it is only temporary. And that is enough to lift something from his shoulders and his chest.

_It might be nothing. It just... it just might be nothing._


End file.
